Parshas Balak

The maamarim 5

1. 1 מי מנה עפר יעקב ומספר את רובע ישראל “Who has counted the dust of Yaakov, and the number of the fourth of Israel?” Israel’s souls are rooted in G‑d’s “thought,” above speech and names, yet they gain more by coming down: through the physical mitzvos, done with joy from the heart’s inner point, they draw down the supernal will, the fourth level above thought, speech and action. Through Torah study, “dust” beyond all number, they reach the higher unity. Maamar 1.28 paragraphs~1 h 5 min162 sourcesEnglish
2. 2 ביאור על פסוק מי מנה כו׳ An explanation of the verse “Who has counted [the dust of Yaakov]” Israel’s “number” has two levels: like sand, countable in kind yet beyond count, the created worlds below the screen that become truly numberless when the mitzvos draw Keser Elyon into Malchus (the lower unity); and like dust, one mass above number altogether, “the dust of Yaakov,” the Torah and the higher unity. Both are drawn down only through the soul’s descent into the body, whose refinement through a will above reason lifts it from “one” to the “Singular.” Maamar 2.Biur34 paragraphs~1 h 55 min167 sourcesEnglish
3. 3 לא הביט און ביעקב כו׳ “Iniquity has not gazed upon Yaakov” Yaakov and Yisrael are two modes of serving G‑d: the servant, who on weekdays toils in prayer and mitzvos to draw the Infinite Light down into the lowest world, and the son, who on Shabbos delights in a revelation already achieved. Prayer is the uncounted “spinal cord” that carries the light into the 248 commandments, and the weekday service of Yaakov is the only path to the Shabbos of Yisrael. Maamar 3.43 paragraphs~1 h 55 min285 sourcesEnglish
4. 4 ביאור ע״פ לא הביט הנה יעקב הוא נמשך… An explanation of the verse “He has not beheld [iniquity in Yaakov]” Bilaam’s verse describes two modes: Yaakov, yud-akev, the ray of Chochmah that descends through the six weekdays to refine nogah with toil, so that the wisdom of kelipah cannot even look at him; and Yisrael, shir E-l, the Shabbos ascent of holiness itself, where there is no toil and no war. Shabbos holds both, for there the son, Yisrael, also rises to the higher awe of Moshe, the faithful servant. Maamar 4.Biur19 paragraphs~40 min79 sourcesEnglish
5. 5 מה טובו אוהליך יעקב כו׳ “How goodly are your tents, Yaakov” The soul descends into a body to become a ba’al teshuvah, and its return has three stages: turning from evil draws down “our G‑d” (Elokim), doing good draws down Havayah, and the return to the soul’s root reaches the essence above Havayah through the Torah. The first two, deeds that surround a person like a “tent,” are Yaakov; the Torah, G‑d’s inward “dwelling,” is Yisrael, and Yaakov must always come first. Maamar 5.42 paragraphs~2 h 5 min290 sourcesEnglish

The Rebbe’s maamarim on this parsha 5

The Rebbe built 5 of his maamarim (5718–5747) on the Alter Rebbe’s maamarim of this parsha. Each maamar’s page summarizes them, with what the Rebbe adds; or see them all together.

• Maamar 1מי מנה עפר יעקב ומספר את רובע ישראל2 maamarim · 5718–5747
• Maamar 3לא הביט און ביעקב כו׳1 maamar · 5729
• Maamar 5מה טובו אוהליך יעקב כו׳2 maamarim · 5723–5744

Learn it in seven days Sunday to Shabbos

The Rebbe asked that all the maamarim of the week’s parsha be learned in that week, spread over its seven days. Here is the parsha in seven portions of about equal length.

1. SUNMaamar 1 ¶1 – maamar 2 ¶1~65 min
2. MONMaamar 2, ¶2–27~66 min
3. TUEMaamar 2 ¶28 – maamar 3 ¶7~62 min
4. WEDMaamar 3, ¶8–27~66 min
5. THUMaamar 3 ¶28 – maamar 4 ¶15~66 min
6. FRIMaamar 4 ¶16 – maamar 5 ¶15~64 min
7. SHABMaamar 5, ¶16–42~66 min