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Dei Chochmah LNafshechah Parshas Vayikra
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Shalosh Seudos 1 of Parshas Vayikra 5768
" - ' ..."
And Hashem called to Moshe and spoke to him from the tent of meeting,saying... 2
The Small Alef
The Arizal revealed that he achieved all that he did by virtue of the joy he felt in
fulfilling mitzvos .3 He was as supremely happy with every single mitzvah that he
fulfilled as a person would be if he had profited by a million golden dinars. In the merit
of this joy, all of the worlds opened before him and he was privileged to ascend and
travel through all of them, from level to level. In this way, his soul was completely
incorporated within the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu.
Similarly, the holy Baal Shem Tovabout whom Rav Mendel of Vitebesk
testified that he was absolutely unique, and there had never been nor ever would be
another like himrose to all of the limitless levels that he did by virtue of being
completely at one with every single Jewish soul.
These traitsjoy in mitzvos and unity with other Jewsare both expressed by
the small alef of the initial word of Vayikra . The small alef symbolizes being small in
ones own estimation in comparison with every other Jew, no matter who he might be.
1 The lesson was delivered on Shabbos of Parshas Zachor , in Mezhibuzh where the holy BaalShem Tov is buried.2 Vayikra 1:13 Mishnah Berurah 669:10
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One cannot just remember that there is a mitzvah of ahavas Yisrael when someone is ill
or tragedy strikes, G-d forbid. Even though it is true that, at such times, the bond
between Jews is sparked into life, nevertheless this is not true love of ones fellow Jew.
The Baal Shem Tov achieved all that he did because he honored every single Jew with
total self-nullification, and it was this that brought him to complete incorporation within
the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu to whom the little alef of Hashems call referred directly.
He sought to embody the little alef absolutely. As the Zohar teaches, He who is small
is great [ by making oneself small before everyone, one becomes incorporated[within the truly great, the true Rav.
For us this means that we must also strive to think little of ourselves in
comparison with others and not to cause any kind of pain or suffering to any Jew. Quite
the contrary; we must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for their sake, and this is the
uppermost yechidah aspect of ones soulto suffuse the soul of every single Jew you
meet with joy and vitality, no matter who he is. Although, on the surface, this might
appear to be a level that everyone can easily reach, it is not so simple. The alef means to
teach4
humility demands great study and is not a simple avodah at all. To reallyintensify ones love of his fellow Jews every single day and unite with all of their souls
is a very deep kind of learning, and it was this that opened all of the gateways of heaven
before the Baal Shem Tov just as simchah shel mitzvah had for the Arizal. One must
actively contemplate and delve into the good that is in every single Jew.
The Baal HaTanya teaches that all of the Torahs secrets are a manifestation of
Chochmah , and the light of dveikus and experiencing delight in Hashems presence is a
manifestation of Kesser . We have a general principle in Kabbalah that when one reaches
a higher level, one automatically attains all of the levels below it. For this reason, when
a person really takes pleasure in Hashems presence in a holy way of dveikus , he
naturally also experiences the light of Chochmah . In just this way did the Baal Shem
Tov attain all of the levelsby binding himself to the light of Kesser which is a lover
4 Iyov 33:33
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of all of Yisrael. This bound him to each and every Jew, and once he was attached to
the root of everything, he also merited the light of all of the other sefiros .
Rav Avraham bRav Nachman taught that this is why Moshiach is called
Prince of Peace. Ultimately, Hashem will open all of the heavenly gates before
Moshiach by virtue of his being a tzaddik who constantly seeks to foster peace among
all Jews. The Baal Shem Tov shared a soul-root with Moshe because his main focus was
also the avodah of the small alef , and in its merit he was privileged to hear Hashem
call to Moshe.
The Dveikus of the Tzaddikim
It is said that, as a child, the Tzemach Tzedek cried inconsolably, Why does
Hashem not appear to me as He did to Avraham Avinu? Each and every Jew must
likewise weep over the fact that he has not merited to reach the levels of the tzaddikim
throughout the generations. One must never despair and say that such a thing is only
possible for rare individualshe must know that Hashem wants to reveal to each and
every Jew all of the spiritual delights that pervade all of the upper worlds that the
tzaddikim experienced. In his innermost self, every single Jew certainly longs to dwell
in Hashems house all the days of his life and visit His chamber. However, the
precondition is the state of the little alef He who is small is great. One must
contemplate and study these good qualities and advance in them every day, from hour to
hour, and take stock every minute whether or not ones self-absorption has not resulted
in harm to another Jew. And certainly, one must never do anything to sow enmity
among Jews, G-d forbid.
If a person only knew what heavenly gates would open before him if he only
made sure to properly honor every Jew, he would certainly immediately repent any
lapse. Such failings are more serious than any other sin in the Torah; even though
Hashem zealously regards any sin, nevertheless any fostering of controversy or failure
to properly honor ones fellow Jew is viewed especially harshly on high.
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We find in the Zohar : Rabbi Chiya opened his teaching with the verse,
Hashem stations an angel around those who fear Him and saves them. Fortunate are
the tzaddikim , for Hashem is more zealous over their honor than He is over His own. Go
and see how many human beings curse and blaspheme against heaven, like Sancheriv
who cursed and blasphemed and said, Who among all of the gods of the lands... and
Hashem forbore and did not demand recompense of him. However, when Sancheriv
stretched forth his hand to harm Chizkiyahu, what does the verse say? And an angel of
G-d went out and smote among the camp of Ashur... Yeravam ben Nevat servedidolatry, brought incense and offerings to it, and Hashem did not demand recompense of
him. Yet when Ido, His prophet, came and spoke prophecy before him and Yeravam
stretched forth his hands against him, what does the verse say? And his hand
withered...and he could not retract it. Pharaoh cursed and blasphemed and said, Who is
Hashem? and the Holy One did not demand recompense of him until he refused to
release the Jewish people. As the verse says, Do you still toy with My people? Behold,
the hand of Hashem shall be among your cattle... So too, in every case we find that the
Holy One exacted retribution for the humiliation of tzaddikim more than He did for Hisown. 5
We see from this teaching that even though the subjects served idolatry, this
was not the point that aroused Hashems anger. Rather, it was that they dared to lay a
hand upon His prophets. So too, each and every Jew has a unique point in avodas
Hashem that belongs to him alone, and if one causes him to lose his spirits one runs the
risk of destroying his unique point of Divine service. In heaven they ask, What
happened to interrupt so-and-sos avodah just now? And when it becomes clear that it
was because another Jew caused him emotional pain, well, woe to the person who has to
bear that judgment and humiliation.
We must therefore follow the pathway of the Baal Shem Tov, the pathway of
love of our fellow Jews. The Baal Shem Tov not only merited to pray with total self-
5 Zohar II:64a
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sacrifice on behalf of every Jew, he also merited to draw down to them an abundance of
children, long and healthy lives, sustenance, and spiritual elevation. And the main thing
that he accomplished was his total unity with all of the Jewish souls.
Crowning Your Friend as King over Yourself
The sages taught that every person is asked on the day of judgment, Did you
crown your fellow Jew as king over yourself with ease? 6 What the person is really
going to be asked is, Did you treat your fellow Jew like a king? Did you feel the
importance of each and every Jew, that they were all kings? Did you take stock of your
every movement, if it sufficiently honored your fellow Jew properlyand were you
careful to never act disrespectfully toward any Jew at all, G-d forbid? This awareness is
the way of life that the Baal Shem Tov laid down for his disciples and all those who are
bound to his path. The more lofty his teachings, the more mutual love there has to be in
the heart of his studentsthis is the condition [ of learning the powerful and [
unifying [ ] teachings of Chassidus that resonate in the highest level of the soul [
= And this is why the Baal HaTanya named his work as he didthe letters .[
are the same as those of and .
So we must know with certainty that unless we resolve to never cause pain to
another Jew, we will not be able to experience the light of dveikus with Hashem and the
light of the Baal Shem Tov. And we must be on our guard, because the sitra achra
works very hard to convince us that conflicts with our fellow Jews are justified, even
necessary. Even though, if it came to a questionable food, a person would rush to ask a
Rav if it was permitted before putting it into his mouth, when it comes to this much
more serious constellation of prohibitions, a person doesnt think to ask if it is permitted
or not. This, despite the fact that, according to the Tosafos, publicly humiliating another
Jew is just another manifestation of murder which one should rather kill himself than
willingly do.
6 Shaarei Kedushah II:2
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Preparing for Yom Tov
The main light of the festival is the light of the tzaddik that shines into a
persons soul, and if a person wants to experience the holiness of the Yom Tov , he must
know that it depends on his level of unity with other Jews. One prepares spiritually for
the festival by destroying Amalek. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov explains that Amalek has
the same gematria as the word .which means haughty , 7 And your heart shall
become haughty and forget...pride is the blemish of Amalek.
There are those who believe that they are already humble, that they know theway of true modesty. But this is false. Even though everyone begs Hashem every day
that their soul should be, like dust before all, nevertheless they have no idea what this
really means. It is only when a person constantly make a cheshbon nefesh to never insult
another Jew and fulfills Hashems desire to achieve a state of unity with all of the souls
of the Jewish people that he can be considered to be on the path of humility. And it is
not enough to refrain from insulting others; one must also completely forgive others and
never hold onto little bits of resentments in his heart.
The way to destroy Amalek is by, remembering what he did to youtostrengthen ones memory of the other persons good points and how important it is to
treat him with honor. One cannot forget himself and the importance of his words and
actions, because they can have very profound effects on others. One cannot overestimate
the great pleasure that Hashem derives from our efforts to achieve unity and mutual love
with our fellow Jewsnot superficially, but really within the depths of ones heart and
soul.
We must bear in mind that every time we break down a barrier between us, we
break down so many barriers in heaven. There is not a form of trouble or suffering that
cannot be mitigated fully in heaven through breaking down the barriers of conflict
among Jews here on earth. It is important to remember that the way of machlokes is the
way of the sitra achra , and it is not the path that Hashem has chosen. For Hashem has
7 Likutei Moharan I:30
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chosen Tzion, He has desired it [ .as a habitation for Him [ 8 Tzion represents Yesod ,
which is the point of unitythis is what Hashem has chosen. He has desired
comprises the alef that represents Hashems Throne of Glory, and the rest of the word
comprises the final two letters of the Shem HaVaYaH . Through unifying the souls of the
Jewish people, Hashems Throne and Name is made complete and His light can shine
throughout all of the lower worlds.
There are those who fulfill the mitzvah to love their fellow Jews by reaching out
to some outcast soul that they meet once a year, but the main way in which we are tofulfill it is among the people with whom we live day in and day out. These are the
friends that we must crown as kings over ourselves and avoid causing them anguish and
disappointment.
Forgiveness for the Sake of the Shechinah
There is a story told of a certain man who once insulted the Ohr HaChaim
HaKadosh very deeply, and the tzaddik underwent a great test not to hold it against him.
However, when he thought about the pain that his resentment would cause the
Shechinah , he immediately felt inspired to completely forgive his detractor.
The tzaddikim know that the greatest pain one can cause to the Shechinah is in
failing to accord proper respect to ones fellow Jews. This is the main reason for this
exile which was due to baseless hatred, and the redemption depends on this. Even
though the geulah requires spiritual force, nevertheless the catalyst is indeed within our
hands. Hashem will certain provide us with the strength we need to draw down the light
of the redemption through unifying the souls of the Jewish people.
Every single Jew is a piece of G-d from above and all of the Jewish people
really are a single spiritual unity. It is absolutely forbidden to focus on physical
externals, because each and every Jew is uniquely precious to Hashem just like the most
beautiful diamonds and pearls. Even if it seems on the surface as though there are
8 Tehillim 132:13
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people who act against him and cause him anguish, nevertheless one must look deeper,
into the persons inner nature which is entirely good and bound up with the Kings
crown. And by doing so, one also will be able to more clearly see how much good he
also has within him.
This is the defining character of the tzaddikim that they act with complete self-
sacrifice on behalf of every single Jew. The son of the Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk,
zya, testified of his father that he literally sacrificed his life for every single Jew. Even
though we are far from such a level and Hashem is not a tyrant over us who demandsthat which we cannot give, nevertheless He does ask of each of us that we do what we
can to fulfill this on our level. For us, this means making a cheshbon nefesh to determine
if we are causing pain to others, and to completely forgive anyone who might have hurt
us. This is also a form of self-sacrifice for the sake of ahavas Yisrael .
There is a kind of ahavas Yisrael that is falsewhen a person prays on behalf
of others with a kind of smug self-righteousness, and with this he feels as though he has
fulfilled his duty to others. But this can hardly be called crowning your friend over
yourself! One must really come to unity with others, heart and soul. As the verse says,Write this for the final generation, and a newly created people will praise Hashem. 9
One must praise Hashem with this newly created peoplethe light of the tzaddikim
must shine down to the final generation so that there will be someone to praise Hashem
in the state of the newly created peoplea nation formed of the fully united souls of
the Jewish people.
The Descent of the Tzaddik
Now, as we prepare ourselves to receive the holy festival, we naturally ask
Hashem to help us do so in a spirit of freshness and inspiration, in joy and with vitality.
So we have to invest the energy to understand more deeply how we are to achieve our
goal. The Arizal taught in his kavanos for the introduction to Shemonah Esrei , that the
9 Tehillim 102:19
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phrase: " - " Praises to the G-d above who is their redeemer
is our way of preparing ourselves to enter into the world of Atzilus [since the four parts
of the morning prayers parallel the four worlds]. The introductory phrase is the light of
Abba of the world of Atzilus that descends to shine into the world of Beriyah . The word
" is a conjunction of " the light descends into the people who are still
mute [ .and know nothing of how to truly prepare for the festival of redemption [
However, there is a redeemer, there is the light of the true tzaddikim that shines into us,
and it is by virtue of their influence that we can prepare ourselves to receive the holinessof the festival. Those who come to purify themselves are helped from above. The
Pirkei DRabbi Eliezer teaches that the souls of the tzaddikim help us, or as the Arizal
taught, they infiltrate within us in a state of gestation to give us strengths that we would
not otherwise have.
Yet we can only merit to experience this kind of ibbur if we make a start at
following the pathway of the tzaddikim , the pathway of concern and love for our fellow
Jews, which is true love of the Shechinah . We have to focus, really focus, on the fact
that every single Jew is a part of the Shechinah . Gevalt ! Dont we want to have aconnection with Hashem, to give Him nachas , to be a part of the avodah of the
tzaddikim , and to bind with the light of the Torah and Hashems presence? And doesnt
each and every one of us want this for himself and his children, and all of the
generations to come forth from him? Yet the key to all of this is so lowly, it is so
despised in the eyes of the world because the Shechinah is herself lying in the dust.
Everything connected with the Shechinah is likewise trod upon and no one stoops to
raise it, and the matter is ignored in direct relation to its vital importance. Because if
people knew where the gold and precious stones were buried, everyone would run toraise them out of the dirt. In order to maintain the structure of free will, then, the
Shechinah is hidden and buried in the dirt and has no external importance. What is the
concern of the Shechinah ? Emunah and the collective souls of the Jewish people, and
the awareness that every Jew is a piece of G-d from above. Literally a piece of G-d.
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But this point is buried deep; everyone knows it, yet the fact is insignificant to people
and so no one reaches down to pick it up to conscious awareness and emphasis.
What is the light of the tzaddik that prepares us for the world of Atzilus , for the
holiness of the festival, for the redemption itself? It is faith in the essential holiness and
value of every Jew and the path of unity with every one of them. He has to be able to
say of himself honestly that every single Jew is incalculably significant to him, and not
to only mouth the words but to really mean them and act on them. This is called keeping
ones attention on the Shechinah at all times; focusing on all of the limbs of theShechinah , which are the Jewish people themselves.
This was expressed by Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk when he said that the
tzaddikim maintain the light of the Shem HaVaYaH before their eyes at all times by
virtue of crowning the Jewish people upon themselves. One must likewise judge others
favorably, because the Jewish people are in exile and have suffered terrible tortures and
pain, and no one can really understand what another is going through. If a person would
really understand his friends suffering in every detail he would really know his
greatness, how despite it all he is still holding onto his Jewishness. Every Jewexperiences new holy ideas and chiddushim even though he also experiences all kinds of
obstacles and obscurity. If one should sometimes happen to see a Jew acting in a way
that doesnt befit him, one must realize that it isnt purposefulit is inadvertent and an
error. If we would only see how each Jew is such a diamond, their innermost goodness
would really come to shine out, and this is the greatest pleasure that Hashem derives
from us.
All of this was taught by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in the lesson where he
discusses the teaching, The chazzan sees from where the little children read. 10 [The
children begin to read from Vayikra .] The chazzan is the tzaddik , and his whole purpose
is to see the good in every single Jew. And by seeing that good he helps every Jew
repent fully and brings about the full and eternal redemption.
10 Likutei Moharan I:282
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The Belzer Rebbe taught that the redemption will arrive in the merit of the Baal
Shem Tov who had a good eye sourced in Arich Anpin , meaning that he constantly
worked to only see good among the Jewish people. It stands to reason that the Baal
Shem Tov also had internal resistance and challenge to this, just as we find that Moshe
Rabbeinu was tested in this area. This is the aspect of Bilaam who had an evil eye,
and Rav Mendel of Vitebsk taught that all of the tzaddikim have their tests in the area of
this negative viewing, but they manage to banish their resentments and inclination to
argue. They refine themselves from level to level until they attain the good eye sourcedin Atika which has no left-side aspect of judgment to it at all. They only see the good
and this binds them constantly to the Shechinah .
There are those who believe that there are great avodos other than this, but all
the while that a person has not come to this he will find endless rationalizations, all in
accordance with halachah , for falling again and again into causing harm to others. This
is the work of the yetzer hara which is very adept at formulating convincing
justifications for wrongful behavior. As the Chovos Halevavos teaches, the evil
inclination is an expert in all of the Talmud, and he serves a person will ample sourcematerial for the worst crimes against his fellow Jews, G-d forbid.
We have no idea what is occurring beneath the surface of times and events.
Who knows if this year it is especially auspicious to arouse Hashems mercy for the
final redemption? Rav Yaakov Koppel taught that in heaven there are windows and
there are cracks [as in Shir HaShirim ], and there are times when heavens windows
are thrown wide open so that an abundance of blessing can descend to the world. If a
person has any sense, he will push himself forward at that time to enter in the breach so
that he can draw down all of the good that awaits him. If, however, he misses the
opportunity, then he will be subject to a different sort of heavenly conduct. Hashems
ways are hidden from us, but certainly there are times when the way to redemption is
more open to us if we will only arouse ourselves to take advantage of the time.
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The Baal Shem Tov taught that the aspect of the Crown of Crowns, which is
Reisha dlo Isyadaah , is called one. When, the tribes of Yisrael are one, when ,
a person enters into the state of unity with his fellow Jews by acting with self-sacrifice
and struggling against the sitra achra and its arguments, that is where he comes into
contact with the Shechinah . Where the fight is hardest, that is where the Shechinah is
hidden.
Hashem rules over all, and so if a person will beg Him to illuminate his mind
with the truth so that he can fulfill this duty, certainly he will receive help from abovefrom the hidden worlds called the Olam HaMalbush .
In the merit of unity may we come to feel the light of the Torah, which is the
unified light of Hashem and His peopleto attain the innermost desire of every Jew,
which is to become one with the King. The name Yisrael is an acronym of the phrase,
there are six hundred thousand letters of the Torah [ 11.[
Every single Jewish soul is bound to the Torahs letters. The name Yeshurun is an
acronym of the phrase, there are six hundred thousand souls [ In .[
the merit of binding ourselves to the souls of all the Jewish people, may we merit to feelthe light of all of the letters of the Torah and to see supernatural miracles. Nature, ,
has the same gematria as the Name nature is only a garment that covers over
the Shem HaVaYaH . May we be redeemed with outright miracles just as we were when
we left Egypt, and may we merit to see Hashems Kingship revealed, to see eye to eye
Hashems return to Tzion. May we receive a G-dly eye to see the good of others, not
in a theoretical way but really and truly, to see the G-dliness in others, with the arrival of
our righteous redeemer in mercy. Amen.
Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.
11 Meor Einayim , Vayakhel
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Nesiv Chaim 14
Nesiv Mitzvosecha , Pathway 3:6:
"Know that it is impossible to draw down any additional blessing or
abundance from Ein Sof without the complete bitul of Ayin . See Eitz Chaim , Sha'ar
Mochin d'Tzelem and Sha'ar Kriyas Shema . But know that there are two unions
aboveone to give vitality to the worlds and maintain it with its necessary life-force, and this union is constant because if it were to cease for even an instant, all
of the worlds would cease to exist "
This first union is called the "external yichud of Chochmah and Binah ."
Chochmah is the light, and Binah is the vessel. When Hashem wants to cause the light
to shine into the vessel, it is called a union of Chochmah and Binah . Because Hashem
wants the worlds to continue to exist, He makes this union constant.
"The second union is to generate souls, and to provide mochin , vitality
and renewal to Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah the Jewish people, the holy peoplewhich is the inner nature of the worlds. This union is not constant, and the mayin
nukvin of Binah [which are necessary] for the inner mochin must be uplifted by the
children [the Jewish people]. They must pour out their souls until they awaken the
upper lights"
This "inner yichud " is aroused by the individual's Divine service which draws
down new souls and renewal in the path of dveikus . This is the matter of the uplifting of
mayin nukvin . The Kabbalists explain that there was originally a shattering of the
primordial vessels and shards of Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah fell into the lower worlds. It isour task to clarify out these sparks and uplift them so that there can be a genuine yichud
between Chochmah and Binah , so that G-d's presence can be revealed to a greater
degree. This yichud should be more than the bare minimum necessary to guarantee the
continued existence of the worldenough so that a greater degree of Divine light will
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shine and Divine vitality will be revealed. This loftier yichud depends upon an arousal
from below, an "outpouring of the soul" in the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos , to make
the necessary beirurim or clarifications. The main outpouring of the soul is in prayer and
when blessings are made with proper focus. These especially rectify the shattered
vessels and bring about a true yichud between Chochmah and Binah so that G-dliness
can be revealed in the world.
The Tzaddik -Disciple Bond
"For you know that when the first union takes place, the groom infuses a
spirit into the bride, and this spirit remains with her constantly"
Whenever there is a bond between a teacher and his student or between any
higher giving force and lower receiving force, the Divine Name " [the permutation of
the Shem HaVaYaH that has a total gematria of fifty-two] is active. When a student first
travels to learn with his master, he receives a great infusion of inspiration. This is the
52-Name force, and it instills within him a constantly fresh yearning to go and learn
Torah from his rebbe. This parallels the first union between a groom and bridethat
first journey imbues the student with the spirit of vitality of the tzaddik , and it motivates
him constantly to travel again. The deeper works explain that even after the tzaddik
leaves this world, the 52-Name remains with his closest disciple, and this is why it was
customary for a chossid to continue to visit with his rebbe's son after the rebbe himself
had passed on. The tzaddik suffers when one of his students abandons him after his own
passing, and he takes pleasure in his students continuing to follow his son, because his
son is a part of himself. Sometimes the son is not such a great tzaddik and so it becomes
necessary for the disciple's avodah to find himself another mentor. Nevertheless, his
former rebbe is pained by this in the next world, and he must do something to appease
him. In general, one must know that a portion of the soul of the rebbe is enclothed
within the student as long as he lives, and it is the force of the 52-Name [ =" ] that
constantly arouses him to travel to his rebbe and receive fresh inspiration to serve
Hashem.
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The Self-Sacrifice of Shema
"It is known that the children always need to uplift mayin nukvin to their
Abba and Imma this is the lower arousal. The tzaddikim uplift within their souls
mayin nukvin to Malchus , and they are their children. The souls of the tzaddikim
uplift mayin nukvin every night while they sleep, and it renews them there in the
manner of, 'Renewed every morning.' 1 This renewal is that she illuminates them
with the mochin that are called 'the human soul.' So is it too in the upper worlds,
for the purpose of the union of Abba and Imma 'For the man was made in theimage of G-d.' 2 Every night, there is [spiritual] gestation, birth and another state of
gestation, as is known. But supernal Imma rules by day and by night, for their
union is constant and does not stop by day or by night. Therefore, the uplifting of
mayin nukvin takes place both by day and by night, paralleling the recitation of
Shema both morning and night"
The souls of the Jewish people are called the "children of Ze'ir Anpin and
Nukvah ," and during the time of sleeping, the souls rise to Malchus to be refreshed.
They bring about a yichud of Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah , and through this a renewal of themochin is drawn into them. This is also the case at the higher levels, for the purpose of
making a yichud of Chochmah and Binah .
Life-force is drawn down for all of the worlds from Chochmah and Binah
within Atzilus . As we have already learned, the "external yichud " brings down shefa that
sustains all of the worlds, and through an arousal from below the "internal yichud " is
catalyzed so that mochin can descend. Everything depends upon the Divine service of
the Jewish people. When a Jew says Shema and abandons himself with true self-
sacrifice for the sake of unifying G-d's Name, he brings about a union between
Chochmah and Binah in the world of Atzilus . While it is true that they are always bound
together, the self-sacrifice of a Jew creates a yichud of Chochmah and Binah at a higher
1 Eichah 3:232 Bereishis 9:6
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level which has a much greater influence on all of the worlds. When that happens, the
world is not a cold and lifeless place; Hashem's presence is revealed here.
The universe was created because G-d desired a dwelling place in the lower
worlds; it was not made so that a person could just live and survive like a base animal.
The purpose of existence is to experience G-dly vitality in the world"And you shall
know today, and restore it to your heart, that Hashem is G-d in the heavens above and
upon the earth below. There is nothing else." Every single Jew must know of Hashem's
existence and vitality and feel His existence; this is the purpose of the Torah and itscommandmentsthe drawing down of revealed G-dliness to the world. When G-dliness
is revealed in the world, the entire universe is uplifted.
The main time when this takes place is during the recitation of Shema in the
morning and at night"The matter will stand by the word of two witnesses"the
witnesses are the two words formed by the enlarged final letters ayin and dalet of
Shema and Echad . The universe stands firm by virtue of the two witnesses of Shema in
the morning and at night.
"Know, that for the union that provides vitality to the worlds and theexternal aspect of the worlds, the 'spirit that was placed within her' is sufficientit
does not have to be accomplished by us. For the internal union, however, it is
necessary that Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah raise up mayin nukvin and take an
additional measure of mochin from their 'father' above Abba and Imma and even
Abba and Imma take light from [the level] that is above them, until the supernal
Emanator who alone has the power to constantly renew light and vitality and
mochin and provide them in additional measurebecause He has no end"
As we have already explained when discussing the bond that exists between a
rebbe and his student, the 52-Name is a force in their relationship, and it is associated
with their initial bonding. So too, the union of Chochmah and Binah also involves the
52-Name, since it is perpetual and does not require the avodah of the Jewish people.
This union brings spiritual vitality to all of the worlds, and it is the "simple and external
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union." To reveal G-dliness [within those worlds] with an additional measure of light,
the self-sacrifice of Shema is required. This raising-up of mayin nukvin arouses the
internal yichud , and this is the main element of Divine servicethat the revelation of G-
dliness should come about through our own actions. Our avodah in this world triggers
the rise of Ze'ir Anpin and Nukvah to the level of Chochmah and Binah so that a loftier
and more internal yichud can take place within Atzilus . This is possible because
Chochmah and Binah take from light that is above them, from the One that emanates all
of existence into beingfor He alone has the power to constantly renew everything.Every action in the world, great or small, derives from the supernal Emanator
every yichud must derive from the highest of levels and draw down additional light and
revelation from the Ohr Ein Sof . These highest of levels are the worlds of Adam
Kadmon until Atzilus ; all shefa descends from the highest of degrees, from level to level.
Abba and Imma also [do not generate shefa but] draw it down from the supernal
Emanator.
"And 'there is nothing new under the sun.' All renewal is literally from
the Ohr Ein Sof . All emanated entities only possess that which is given to themfrom above, and all of their own aspects are their ani elements which are necessary
to maintain their independent existence"
"There is nothing new under the sun"a person who is disconnected from
holiness has no fresh vitality, he is only enjoying the pale light that is given over to the
klippah . The spiritual vitality that animates the sitra achra is like a very small candle
it does not possess a great degree of life-forcejust a small amount that dries up right
away. This is not so of a person who is bound to holiness. For such a person, his
spiritual vitality increases and multiplies exponentially, and he feels a commensurate
freshness and renewal because G-d's revelation is limitless.
Every created entity contains both an element of self/ ani and bitul / ayin . The
purpose of the ani -aspect is to maintain the entity's existence, and it is meant to serve as
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a vessel for the more lofty element of ayin , or the subsuming of the self within G-d
Himself. We have already discussed this at length in the prior lesson.
"One must have the intent during the recitation of Shema of completing
all of the unions until Ein Sof with self-sacrifice, to renew creation to a greater
degree by virtue of the state of ayin . Then they are able to influence one another
from that which they received from the aspect of Ein Sof , through attaining
absolute bitul "
Meditating on the One
The yichud of Shema is not only for Chochmah and Binah , but is also needed to
complete all of the yichudim at all of the levels above them, until the uppermost part of
Adam Kadmon and all of the way to the Ein Sof . When a person recites Echad with self-
sacrifice and enters into a state of total bitul , he literally renews all of creation because
his act reveals G-dliness throughout the world. The deeper works explain that if a person
is unfamiliar with the meditations of the Arizal on the Echad of Shema , he should
simply think of the letters hei , vav , hei , yud and the apex of the yud and that he is
nullified before the Ein Sof . The essence of the mediation on Echad is self-sacrifice and
bitul to the Ein Sof , and by following the letters of the Shem HaVaYaH from "below" to
"above," it amounts to the same avodah . One first raises up the lower hei which signifies
Malchus , and this means acceptance of the Divine yoke; the vav expresses the emotional
arousal of Divine love and fear; the upper hei is the contemplation of G-dliness; the
primary yud is bitul of one's experience of external reality; and the apex of the yud is
total bitul this is how one is subsumed within the Ein Sof . Afterward, one draws down
from the apex of the yud to the yud , and then to the hei , vav and hei , down to oneself.
This indicates the drawing down of the Ohr Ein Sof to reveals G-d's oneness in the
worlds of Atzilus , Beriyah , Yetzirah and Asiyah , down to one's own and actual place.
This is the essence of yichud nullifying everything before the absolute reality of G-d.
And this is the essence of Divine servicerevealing Hashem's unity from the top of all
levels down to the lowermost place.
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"Know, that mayin nukvin is the Name " " " " , which is the
nefesh of Malchus " This is the 52-Name and it is called the "Cave of Machpelah,"
because the letters are doubled. The " is a yud and a vav-dalet , and each are equal to
ten. The remainder of the letters are articulated by themselves, so their letters are
doubled. [This is the ani -aspect within the 52-Nameit is "filled with itself."] This
Divine Name expresses Malchus and faith, because a person cannot exist in a perpetual
state of lofty dveikus . What he can experience at all times is the more simple dveikus of
plain faith. The word emunah means nurturing, as one raises a child"And Mordechairaised [ Hadassah." Faith means training himself not to lose his focus on G-d's [
existence, whether he is holding at that moment on a high level or a low one. No matter
where one is, he can always cleave to faith, which means remembering that G-d exists.
All forgetting of Hashem is an effect of Amalek's grip on us; destroying Amalek means,
first and foremost, entering into the emunah -avodah of remembering G-d. This applies
to every single person in every single situation and at all levels. Afterward, one can
begin to speak before Hashem. But the primary avodah is the acceptance of the Divine
yoke, which is the "Cave of Machpelah," the burial ground of our Avos . All souls passthrough there on their way to the next world. The Chessed L'Avraham wrote that when a
Jew simply closes his eyes and binds himself to Hashem, his soul also passes through
the Cave of Machpelah. This is mainly true in the spiritual sense, that one must pass
through the avodah of simple faith, because it is the foundation upon which one rises to
all of the other levels of Divine service.
"Know that mayin nukvin is the Name " " " " , nefesh of
Malchus . Each hei has the form of a hand, and there are a total of four letters- hei
[ " " ], four hands, and another hand of the " [subtract the " ], and we areleft with three letters vav. When this last sum [3 x 6 = 18] is added to " [52] we
have a total of seventy, the same as that of five 'hands' [5 x 14 = 70]"
Every letter hei can be written as a yud and a dalet . The 52-Name contains five
"hands" (letters hei ), and each hand comprises five fingers that parallel the five fiery
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gevuros of " . [Note: The letters " all have double end-forms, which indicate
that they express harsh dinim that require mitigation and sweetening.] The letters of the
word for hand, " , parallel and Yosef indicates the bitul that every soul
naturally feels before Hashem, and Dovid indicates the yearning that every souls feels
toward Hashem. The "hand" is the spiritual force that uplifts everything, just as the
physical hand has the ability to raise anything it grasps. The longing and yearning of the
spiritual "hand" is what uplifts the broken vessels to Hashem.
Beginning the Avodah of the Divine Names
When a person embarks upon the 52-Name form of avodah the work of
emunah the "five hands" have their place there. The letter itself becomes an expression
of yearning for Hashem. [Just as we said up above, that the " is the "hand of longing,"
and there are five aspects of yearning within the letters, expressed by the dual nature of
" .] While these concepts are admittedly esoteric, nevertheless it is still possible to
undertake this form of avodah even if one does not fully grasp the deeper aspects of the
matter. The main thing to know is that every single soul needs to have a relationship
with Hashem, to the world of Atzilus . As the Torah commands us, "And you shall cleave
to Him." Every person can undertake this from whatever point he standsto believe in
Hashem's existence and speak to Him every day. Whatever additional knowledge one
gains about thiseven if it is incompletelyserves as the basis of a practical avodah
that will bring a person to greater dveikus .
For example, we learned about a particular permutation of the Shem HaVaYaH
earlierthat associated with the level of " and whatever one can grasp of the
explanation offered can inspire and help him focus his mind on Hashem's Name, to
whatever degree possible for him at this moment in time. Every further detail that one
learns add more depth to this avodah , but even the barest knowledge will serve as an
entry to dveikus and dveikus is the ultimate purpose of all avodah . The Divine Names
within the siddur cannot just be groupings of letters; they must be a vehicle that brings
to dveikus . So, too, every bit of Torah that a person learns contains holiness and has the
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ability to bind a person to Hashem. All the more so do the actual Divine Names have a
spiritual force within them; when one focuses his mind on them, they can bind one to
Hashem.
The main Divine Names are the four permutations of the Shem HaVaYaH , each
of which have their unique total value of " " " " , as well as the articulations of
the Name EHYH : " " " . These seven Names encompass all of the Torah. The
Komarna Rebbe explained that when their total value is added to the four letters of the
Shem HaVaYaH itself, they equal " repentance. This teaches us that the pathwayto the highest level of teshuvah can be reached through focusing the mind on the Divine
Names. This is what can transform sins into merits dveikus restores the soul to G-d.
"The aspects of the 52-Name with its three letters- vav are the ruach , and
it constantly uplifts clarified sparks to mayin nukvin ; they are constantly being
clarified. And when some spark is clarified, it draws down renewed mochin , for
'from my flesh, I see G-d.' Understand this. Every Jew feels illumination in his soul
when he clarifies some spark"
The main sign that a person has managed to uplift mayin nukvin and arouse a yichud on high is that he feels happy and filled with vitality after he finishes praying.
This joy is the natural result of having made a yichud and drawn down mochin above; he
feels an influx of mochin down below as well. Sometimes a person feels downcast and
far from Hashem before he prays, but afterward he feels like a totally different person.
This is a sign that he has accomplished a yichud he naturally feels joy and renewal.
"From this ruach the angels are made, for they are the externality of the
worlds [and are associated with] the necessary union that maintains the flow of
vitality without which nothing could exist. This is why the angels do not rise in themanner of mayin nukvin see Sha'ar HaNesirah . Look in the Chessed L'Avraham
for an explanation of dual nature of the sichli'im [i.e. angels, which are entirely
spiritual 'mind']. One aspect is that they are pure intellect, possessed of wisdom,
engaging their spiritual intellect in their avodah . [The other is that] they have great
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yearning in their Divine service, it does not diminish their light for an instant
[however]. It does not diminish or increase, each and every one of them and his
own level, from the supernal Kesser all the way down to the lowermost level. They
therefore draw upon the shefa in their avodah that suffices to maintain their
existence and vitality, so that it should never lack. Regarding this, they do not play
a part as to whether the lower worlds will receive beneficence or its opposite; they
receive a fixed amount [of Divine vitality] which does not change"
When the Baal Shem Tov recited the prayer, "Praise G-d, for He is good; Hiskindness is forever," he saw how each and every angel serves Hashem, and he followed
the example of each angel and served Hashem with each one's longing. Even though we
cannot really grasp the meaning of this, nevertheless each one of us recites, "And the
ofanim and the chayos hakodesh " We may not grasp the nature of their existence, but
we nevertheless learn how to serve Hashem from the avodah of the angels and the
seraphim . The deeper works explain that even if we are not on the level to contemplate
the avodah of the angels, nevertheless we should bear in mind when reciting the verses
that detail their Divine service that the tzaddikim serve Hashem like the angels do. Sometzaddikim serve Hashem like ofanim [pure acceptance of the Divine yoke], while others
are like the chayos or the seraphim . We can see ourselves that there are tzaddikim who
burn with yearning for Hashem with all their hearts [like the fiery seraphim ]. All of this
is meant to teach us how to develop our own avodah .
Where do the angels receive the energy that enables their avodah ? From the
light that is drawn down from the "external yichud ." Yet our Divine service is fired by
an arousal from below that awakens the "inner yichud ," and as a result the light and
vitality that we receive from it is deeper and more internal than that which even the
angels receive.
"There are other matters that depend upon our avodah , that are either
diminished or increased by the degree of avodah of the lower beings. If they serve
as they should, shefa and light increases above. We should not ascribe any true
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increase or decrease in that which is above; rather, it is relative to our own
perception of the way in which the upper levels are empowered to provide more
light to all of the worlds"
We must bear in mind that all of this description of increase or decrease is only
relative to our position as created beings; as far as G-d's essence is concerned, "I am
Hashem, I have not changed." 3 No action of a created being makes any change within
Hashem, G-d forbid. Rather, it is His will that our actions impact the manner in which
His presence is revealed within the lower worldsand, in that sense, they do make a bigdifference, especially with regard to the experience of the souls of the Jewish people.
When our Divine service is stronger, it arouses a greater revelation of Hashem's
presence in the upper and lower worlds. This means that our avodah is not only
important for us, but also for a higher purpose, which is that there should be greater
shefa throughout all of the upper worlds as well. As the verse says, "Give strength to
Elokim "4in response to our actions, Hashem provides greater light within His middos .
This is the " nachas ruach " that we are said to give to Hashem [especially through the
offering of sacrifices, which is now equivalent to prayer]. Hashem wants that therevelation of His presence should be contingent on our avodah this is His will. When
we fulfill His will, His greatness is revealed and His purpose is served.
We now return to our "path of life"to where we are holding in the Arizal's
Otzros Chaim . There we learned that, at first, everything was only Ohr Ein Sof , and
afterward Hashem constricted His presence to form a vacated space, within which He
drew a line or channel of light. This line was then cloaked by the first world of Adam
Kadmon , and a number of worlds then emerged from it. We return to our discussion of
that which emerged from the "mouth" of Adam Kadmon :
3 Malachi 3:64 Tehillim 68:35
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Otzros Chaim , Sha'ar Ha'Akudim , Chapter 2:
"We will explain the emergence of these lights that are called Akudim
['bound']. Know that at the time that they emerged, they did not emerge complete,
as we will explain with G-d's help. The reason for this is because it was the
Emanator's intention to begin the process of the development of vessels at this
point, and to cloak the light so that it could meet the needs of the recipients, so that
they could receive it. Since they emerged incomplete and unfinished, they returnedto ascend to their source, to be repaired and completed, and this is what caused a
vessel to be formed. The meaning of this is as follows: the aspect of the vessels
existed [from the beginning] in potential, but it was not actualized within the light.
Even though the light was more dense and coarse, it was still bound to the essence
very well, and so its aspect [of a vessel] could not be revealed. When the light
emerged via the mouth outward, all of the lights emerged mixed together. When
they returned to ascend and be completed as mentioned before, then certainly that
light which emerged from the mouth in the aspect of vessels was already moredense, and it acquired even greater density, and this is why it could not return to
its source as it had originally. The more refined light separated itself from it and
ascended to its source, as described above, and then the dense light became even
more dense than its originally density. It then was finished and remained in the
aspect of a vessel..."
In truth, everything is G-dlinessit is only that Hashem wanted that the denser
aspect of the light be called a vessel. At the very beginning, in the roots of creation,
Hashem contracted the light to the "sides," so to speak, so that there would be
[conceptual] space in which created beings could exist. This primary vessel of the
vacated space is the root of all vessels that were to come. So too, the light that emerges
from the mouth of Adam Kadmon has two partsits refined part, and its dense part. At
first, within the mouth, both lights were bound together with their ultimate essence very
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well. When the dense aspect exited, however, it became even more dense and assumed
the level of a vessel. We speak of this as five partzufim that emerged from the mouth of
Adam Kadmon that returned and entered again into the mouth, but in so doing they left a
portion of the light outside. This allowed the denser aspect of the light to materialize
even further and assume the nature of a vessel.
We can understand this better when we rely on a parable of the Baal HaTanya.
Sunlight is complete, and the sun emits its rays and they descend further and further
until they reach the earth. Here on earth, we see that there is light during the day, and itreally does derive from the shining of the sun by way of its rays of light. We see, then,
that there is light which emerged from the luminary. The luminary is the sun itself, and a
smaller and more limited degree of light illuminates here down below. Yet this small ray
of light that penetrates into the room here, when it was still part of its source, had no
identifiable independent existence. Before it emerged from the sun, it was completely a
part of its source and one could not even look at it. It was only after it separated from
the great luminary, the sun, that it could be recognized and benefit could be derived
from its light.It is possible for this small light to become more dense and material until it
assumes the nature of a vessel. The concept of light is the revelation of supernal
influence, and the vessel is the lower aspect that receives this revelation and bestowal of
vitality from Hashem. In the upper worlds, from Atzilus and higher, the vessel is not
distinct from Hashem Himself. This contrasts with the situation in the lower worlds of
Beriyah , Yetzirah , Asiyah ; from the perspective of created beings, these lower three
worlds appear to have a distinct existence separate from that of the Creator. While we
know that, from the Creator's perspective, there is nothing but Him, we speak here of the
perception of the beings that live in the lower three worldsand they do perceive a
difference.
Even though there are vessels in the worlds of Atzilus and beyond, nevertheless
they are not distinct from His light. This is a very deep concept, difficult to grasp. Our
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minds have a hard time understanding how it is possible for a vessel to be part and
parcel of the light that is being bestowed. But this is the true nature of the world of
Atzilus .
The reversion of the refined light back to its source and the leaving of the vessel
to become more dense is only from the perspective of the lower three worlds. From the
Creator's perspective, the more refined light remained and ever remains mixed with the
denser light; to Him it is all one. The constriction of light and the obscuring of His
presence is only ever from the perspective of the lower worlds, from our perspective.It is to this dynamic that the Arizal refers when he explains that the vessel was
also light, but that it was combined together with the more refined light and only later
became more dense and separated from it to form a vessel. This serves as a paradigm for
all vessels that exist throughout all of the worldsthey are all essentially light. If
Hashem would remove the [illusion of] tzimtzum for an instant, it would be clear that
everything is literally G-dliness. From His perspective, there is no tzimtzum at all. And
even if from our perspective there does appear to be a tzimtzum , it is only in the lower
worlds of BY"A that the vessels appear to have a distinct existence. This is not so in Atzilus , where the vessel is also incorporated within His Elokus .
"If you posit that when the refined light returned to descend and spread
out within the vessel that it would return to its initial refined state and cease to be a
vessel, the answer to this is found in that which we have already discussed in
another placethat the ten sefiros that rose to their source do not all return to
descend again. Only the nine lower ones descended, and the uppermost one, Kesser ,
remained always together with the Emanator. We see, then, that the light of
Chochmah is that which returned and enclothed itself within the vessel of Kesser ,
and so too all of the sefiros . The vessels were able to receive the light that was
subsequently of lesser degree than what they had held originally"
The general dynamic of the "mouth of Adam Kadmon " is that light enters and
emerges, enters and emerges, in the manner of "running and returning." While the
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concept is vastly different and more lofty, nevertheless something of its principle can be
understood from the human form: "And from my flesh, I see G-d." The physical parallel
to this is when a person breathes through his mouth, he inhales and exhales in cycles,
and the Kabbalists call this cyclical process mati v'lo mati , or "touching and not
touching." This physical process derives from the spiritual root of the mouth of Adam
Kadmon , and the manner in which the light emerges from it and returns to it.
The Avodah of Akudim
We can now connect the teachings of the Arizal brought above with that which
we have already learned in the Nesiv Mitzvosecha of the Komarna Rebbe. There are two
levels of union between Chochmah and Binah : the external yichud which brings vitality
to the angels and the external nature of the worlds, and the inernal yichud which is
generated by an arousal from below on the part of the souls of the Jewish people.
The general principle is that there are two levels: running and returning.
"Running" is the nature of Binah that a person feels yearning for Hashem and wants to
cleave to Him. "Returning" is the nature of Chochmah , where Hashem reveals Himself
to the person. To the degree that one yearns for Hashem, to that degree is G-dliness
drawn down to him. The more a person strives to serve Hashem with his innermost
heart, the more yichud he generates on high, and he receives spiritual vitality and
mochin in the manner of "running and returning."
There are tzaddikim who are like Nadav and Avihu, who serve Hashem at a
level that transcends Atzilus . They serve Hashem in the manner of the world of Akudim
that emerges from the mouth of Adam Kadmon . Generally, the path of avodah of the
tzaddik is in the union of Chochmah and Binah , running and returning, yearning and
bitul . But there are also tzaddikim who have vitality, "to give them life in their
hunger"they derive spiritual energy from hunger itself, which means yearning alone.
Even though they do experience Divine light commensurate with their yearning,
nevertheless they do not stay with the light that they receive but instead race again with
longing for a higher degree of G-d's light. They derive pleasure from the exercise of
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their longing alone, and this is a very lofty level. It can be compared to Yom
Hakippurim, when a person fasts. It would seem as though the fasting should be
difficult, but there are tzaddikim whose fasting and yearning for G-d satisfies them more
than any eating possibly could. The light that they receive enters into them but
nevertheless it doesn't really get absorbed When the light is "exhaled," it is .
more lofty than it was when it entered, because their main pleasure is not the light but
the longingwaiting for the next breath. This is the nature of the world of Akudim .
We see, then, that in the world of Atzilus , Binah is a vessel of yearning forHashem, and afterward the person is gifted with "returning," which is Chochmah and
the light he receives is the pinnacle of his avodah . But higher, in the world of Akudim ,
Binah and its yearning is actually loftier than Chochmah . The world of Akudim is the
source of the twenty-two letters of the Torah, and the tzaddikim who are on that level
derive spiritual pleasure from the vessels [letters] without any expectation or experience
of light to fill the vessels.
We have learned that when the light emerged from the mouth of Adam Kadmon ,
it became denser and assumed the nature of a vessel. This is truly wondrous. In theworld of Atzilus , if a person does not receive light then the path of building vessels
through the work of Binah remains to him. This parallels a square [like a final memhe
primary form of a vessel]. When Hashem shines His light upon the person, it parallels
the letter samech , which is a circle. This is compared to the Shabbos itself, which is a
"circle within a square" [a structure of space and time that is filled with Divine light]. 5
The days of the week are like a squarethey are a vessel. Shabbos shines light within
the vesselit is the circle within the square.
In the Sefer Yetzirah , we learn that the letter samech is appointed over themonth of Kislev. It is a month of light [because of the Chanukah lights], and during that
month one can feel the true nature of Divine illumination. This is why we read the
portions of the Torah that tell of the experiences of Yosef HaTzaddik at that time
5 Introduction to the Zohar 5b; Likutei Moharan 59
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because Yosef is the aspect of light and the illumination of the Torah's secrets. [Earlier,
we learned that the yud of " expresses Yosef and self-nullification with the Divine
light.] Kislev is the third month of the Tishrei-year, paralleling Sivan which is the third
month of the Nissan-year. While Sivan is the time of the receiving of the revealed
Torah, Kislev is the time of revelation of the Torah's secrets.
We know that Chanukah is the finalization of the sealing of Yom HaKippurim. 6
Delight in the yearning and vessels themselves is part of the avodah of Chanukah just as
it is on Yom HaKippurim. Even if one lights the candles and does not feel any particularillumination, he must enliven himself so that he can derive spiritual pleasure from his
desire and longing for the Divine light itself. All of the lights of Chanukah are geared
toward Atzilus ; this means that at first glance we think that the light is the main purpose
and the vessel is only a means. But at the level of Akudim , the vessel is the purposethe
longing is the goal. May it be Hashem's will that His glory will be revealed, and may we
see that the mouth of G-d has spoken. With the arrival of our righteous redeemer,
speedily and in our days. Amen.
Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.
6 Kedushas Levi , Chanukah #1