Likkutei Torah · Parshas Shemini Atzeres · Maamar 4
ביום השמיני שלח את העם ויברכו את המלך…
“On the eighth day he sent the people away”
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The big idea
The soul’s bond with G‑d is a dance of ratzo and shov, running toward Him and returning into life. The festivals of Tishrei trace this dance, and Shemini Atzeres is its goal: the fiery love of the Days of Awe is carried into the settled “return” of Torah and mitzvos, where G‑d’s kingship is revealed below.
The maamar in brief
Why must Shemini Atzeres, when the year’s blessing is received, be preceded by Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos? The Alter Rebbe answers with the image of a circle dance, in which moving apart serves coming together. The soul has two aspects: “before,” rooted in G‑d’s thought beyond the worlds, which gives every Jew a hidden, fiery love in the inner heart; and “behind,” its descent to the lowest place. Service means bringing that hidden love into the light. Rosh HaShanah is the distance of self-reckoning; Yom Kippur brings face-to-face closeness through the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy; on Sukkos G‑d’s great love embraces us but “freezes” into the ice of mitzvos, the stage of shov, which risks growing cold. On Shemini Atzeres renewed fiery love melts the ice into flowing water: the rain of blessing, the Oral Torah, and the revelation of G‑d’s kingship among His people. “He sent the people away” is this kingship drawn into daily life from the level of the “eighth day,” above the seven.
Outline
- The dance of ratzo and shovKnesses Yisrael’s joy is like a circle dance. The soul’s aspects of “before” and “behind” give every Jew a hidden, fiery love that is felt in prayer and otherwise shelters him like shade; service means drawing it into light, through ratzo that reveals and shov that stores the light in Torah and mitzvos.¶1–3
- Rosh HaShanah and Yom KippurService begins with the distance of Rosh HaShanah, “the left hand pushes away,” through honest self-reckoning. This leads to Yom Kippur’s face-to-face closeness, when the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy whiten sins like snow and the inner heart, which needs no food, is revealed.¶4–7
- Sukkos as ice, Shemini Atzeres as flowing waterOn Sukkos G‑d’s great love embraces us and “freezes” into ice: love clothed in mitzvos, like an idea in a parable or the partition between worlds. Ice can turn cold, so renewed fiery love must melt it; on Shemini Atzeres it flows as rain and as Torah.¶8
- “He sent the people away”: drawing down kingshipThere is no king without a people, so G‑d’s kingship is drawn into the world through shov. Every mitzvah both raises sparks and draws down the royal crown, and the “eighth day,” above the seven attributes, is the lofty source that lets this reach the lowest level.¶9–11
- Blessing, tents and joyThe purpose of creation is shov, a dwelling below: “they blessed the king” through the Oral Torah, “went to their tents” as G‑d’s dwelling, and became “joyful and glad of heart” as the hidden love was revealed. The same rhythm of distance and nearness runs through the wording of every blessing.¶12–13
- SummaryA short outline of the four sections, adding that shov rises above ratzo, and that az (alef and zayin) marks Shemini Atzeres as the one above the seven, as in Yaakov’s leaving Be’er Sheva and the eight days of Chanukah.¶14–17
Key concepts
- Ratzo and shov (running and returning)רצוא ושוב
- The soul’s rhythm: the upward rush of longing for G‑d, and the return into life to serve Him in the world through Torah and mitzvos.
- “Behind and before” (achor vakedem)אחור וקדם
- The soul’s two aspects: first in G‑d’s intention, rooted beyond the worlds, and last in the order of creation, clothed in the physical.
- The hidden things of the heartתעלומות לב
- The fiery love above reason, hidden in the inner point of every Jew’s heart; aroused in prayer and otherwise felt only as encompassing “shade.”
- Ice (kerach)קרח
- Divine love or wisdom “frozen” into a graspable form: the partition between Atzilus and Beriah, a concept clothed in a parable, and love clothed in practical mitzvos. Its danger is coldness.
- Face to faceפנים בפנים
- The relationship in which a person’s inner self is turned to G‑d’s inner will, revealed on Yom Kippur; its opposite is turning “the back of the neck,” an inner attachment to the physical.
- No king without a peopleאין מלך בלא עם
- G‑d’s kingship requires subjects who accept it, so it is drawn into the world through the settled service of shov.
- The eighth dayביום השמיני
- A level above the seven emotive attributes, the source from which the highest revelation reaches the lowest; the alef of az added to the zayin of Sukkos.
The dance of ratzo and shov ¶1–3
1ביום השמיני שלח את העם ויברכו את המלך וילכו לאהליהם שמחים וטובי לב1 וגו׳ (ועיין מזה בגמרא פ״ב דשבת ד״ל ע״א2 פ״ק דמ״ק ד״ט ע״א במדרש רבה פ׳ נח פל״ה3 במגלת אסתר בפסוק כטוב לב המלך)4
“On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart,” etc. (See on this in the Gemara, chapter 2 of Shabbos, folio 30a; chapter 1 of Moed Katan, folio 9a; in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Noach, chapter 35; and in Megillas Esther, on the verse “when the king’s heart was merry.”)
The maamar opens with the verse describing the close of King Solomon’s dedication of the Temple: on “the eighth day” (read in Chassidus as Shemini Atzeres) the people blessed the king and went home joyful. The parenthesis points to the places in the Talmud and Midrash that discuss this verse and the phrase “good of heart.”
הנה בשמיני עצרת מקבלים כל ישראל שפע הנהגתם בתורתם ועבודתם על כל השנה והוא ענין מוריד הגשם שאומרים משמיני עצרת עד הפסח ומשם ואילך מוריד הטל.
Now, on Shemini Atzeres all Israel receive the flow [of influence] for their conduct in their Torah and their divine service for the whole year. This is the matter of “He causes the rain to fall,” which is said from Shemini Atzeres until Pesach; and from then on, “He causes the dew to fall.”
Shemini Atzeres is when the Jewish people receive the whole year’s flow of divine influence for their Torah and service. The Alter Rebbe links this to the prayer “He causes the rain to fall,” begun on Shemini Atzeres: rain, a strong outpouring from above, stands for this abundant flow, while the gentler “dew” is said from Pesach on.
והנה בכל שנה ושנה צריך להיות תחלה ראש השנה ויום כפור וסוכות ואח״כ שמיני עצרת
Now, every single year there must first be Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos, and afterwards Shemini Atzeres.
This sets the question the maamar will answer: why must the receiving of Shemini Atzeres be preceded, every year, by the sequence of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos?
והענין כי הנה כתיב אז תשמח בתולה במחול וגו׳. בתולה היא בחי׳ כנסת ישראל מקור כל נשמות ישראל
The explanation is as follows. It is written, “Then the maiden shall rejoice in the dance,” etc. “The maiden” is the level of Knesses Yisrael, the source of all the souls of Israel.
The answer begins with a verse from Jeremiah about the maiden who rejoices in the dance. “The maiden” is Knesses Yisrael, the collective source of all Jewish souls; her joy is the joy of the soul in its bond with G‑d.
(וע׳ בתד״א ח״א פכ״ו ובזהר פ׳ אמור דפ״ט ע״א5 וסע״ב בלא פגימו כו׳ ועי׳ ס״פ פנחס דרנ״ח ריש ע״ב ע״פ והקרבתם עולה6 ועשיתם עולה ועיין במאורי אור אות ב׳ סי׳ מ״ד)
(See Tanna deVei Eliyahu, Part 1, chapter 26; the Zohar, Parshas Emor, folio 89a and the end of side b, on “without blemish,” etc.; see the end of Parshas Pinchas, folio 258, the beginning of side b, on “You shall offer a burnt offering” and “You shall make a burnt offering”; and see Me’orei Or, letter Beis, section 44.)
A parenthesis sending the reader to further discussions of Knesses Yisrael as the unblemished “maiden” and of the offerings of the festivals: a Midrashic work, two Zohar passages, and Me’orei Or, a Kabbalistic dictionary of terms.
ובמחול יש לו ב׳ פירושים הא׳ הוא לשון מחית עון. והב׳ הוא כפשוטו לשון ריקוד במחולות (ועיין ברבות בשה״ש ע״פ כמחולת המחנים) ורצה לומר ששמחת כנסת ישראל בה עושה הוא
“In the dance” (bamachol) has two meanings. The first is in the sense of forgiveness (mechilah) of sin. The second is its plain sense: dancing in circles (mecholos). (See Rabbah on Song of Songs, on the verse “like the dance of the two camps.”) That is to say, the joy of Knesses Yisrael in her Maker is
The word machol (“dance”) is read two ways: as mechilah, forgiveness of sin, and as a circle dance. The Alter Rebbe will use the second meaning to describe how the soul’s joy with G‑d works.
כמו ע״ד משל שמרקדים במחול שמתרחק האחד מחבירו וחוזר ומתקרב והריחוק הוא סיבת הקירוב לפי שאינו ריחוק אמיתי שאין הריחוק פנימיות המכוון אלא שדרך ריקוד כך הוא
like, by way of analogy, those who dance in a circle: one moves away from the other and comes back and draws near, and the moving away is the cause of the drawing near, since it is not a true distance, for the distance is not the inner intent; rather, this is simply the way of dancing.
In a circle dance the dancers step away from each other only in order to come back together; the moving apart is part of the dance and serves the coming together. So distance that is not the inner intent becomes the very means of closeness.
(ועמ״ש בד״ה ביום השמע״צ ע״פ בן חכם ישמח אב) וכך הוא ענין שמחת כנסת ישראל בבחינת ריחוק וקירוב ולא ריחוק ממש ח״ו אלא בבחי׳ רצוא ושוב לפי שא״א להיות תמיד בבחי׳ רצוא.
(See what is explained in the maamar beginning “On the day of Shemini Atzeres,” on the verse “A wise son makes a father glad.”) And so it is with the joy of Knesses Yisrael: it is in a mode of distance and nearness, yet not actual distance, G‑d forbid, but in the mode of ratzo and shov (running and returning), since it is impossible to be always in the state of ratzo.
The soul’s relationship with G‑d likewise moves between distance and nearness. This is not true distance but the rhythm of ratzo and shov: an outward rush toward G‑d, and then a return into ordinary life, since no one can remain in constant rapture.
וכמאמר ואם רץ לבך שוב לאחד שגם בבחי׳ שוב היא דבוקה בה׳ אחד כו׳. ויובן זה בהקדים מה שכתוב ואהבת את7 הוי׳ לאהיך בכל לבבך בשני יצריך.
As the saying goes, “If your heart runs, return to the One,” for even in the state of shov she is bound to the One G‑d, etc. This will be understood by first introducing what is written, “You shall love Havayah your G‑d with all your heart (levavcha)” — with both your inclinations.
Even in the “return,” the soul remains bound to G‑d. To explain how, the Alter Rebbe introduces the verse “You shall love Havayah your G‑d with all your heart,” where the doubled letter in levavcha (your heart) is read as including both inclinations, good and evil.
ולהבין איך תהיה אהבת ה׳ ביצר הרע שנקרא רע (ועמ״ש מז בד״ה המגביהי לשבת) אך הענין כי יש שני לבבות באדם דהיינו חלל הימני וחלל השמאלי.
Now, to understand how there can be love of G‑d with the evil inclination, which is called “evil” (see what is explained on this in the maamar beginning “Who is enthroned on high”): the explanation is that there are two hearts in a person, namely the right chamber and the left chamber.
How can one love G‑d with the evil inclination? The answer rests on the idea that a person has two “hearts”: the right chamber of the heart, seat of the G‑dly soul’s feelings, and the left chamber, seat of the animal soul’s desires.
הימני פונה תמיד לאהבת ה׳ ולדבקה בו והשמאלי הוא להיפך לאהוב דברים זרים גשמיים והיינו לפי שהנפש במקור חוצבה יש לה ב׳ בחי׳
The right one always turns to the love of G‑d and to cleaving to Him, and the left is the opposite: to love foreign, physical things. This is because the soul, in the source from which it was hewn, has two aspects,
The right chamber naturally turns toward G‑d; the left toward physical, “foreign” pleasures. This division goes back to the soul’s very source, which has two aspects.
as it is written, “Behind and before You have formed me.” (See on this Midrash Rabbah at the beginning of Parshas Tazria, “If he is worthy,” etc.; Zohar II, Beshalach, folio 55a; and the Mikdash Melech there.)
The verse “Behind and before You have formed me” names those two aspects: achor (behind, last) and kedem (before, first). The Midrash on it teaches that man can be either first or last in creation, depending on his merit.
פי׳ אחור למעשה בראשית שהאדם נברא סוף כל הנבראים וקדם כי ישראל עלו במחשבה11 ובראשית בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית1213 כו׳
This means: “behind” — with regard to the work of creation, for man was created last of all the creatures; and “before” — for Israel arose in [G‑d’s] thought, and “Bereishis” [means] for the sake of Israel, who are called “reishis” (first), etc.
Man is “behind” because physically he was created last, after everything else. He is “before” because in G‑d’s intention Israel came first: creation (Bereishis) was for the sake of Israel, who are called reishis, “first.”
As our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “With whom did He take counsel? With the souls of the righteous” — and not the righteous alone, but as it is written, “And your people are all righteous,” etc.
The Sages taught that G‑d “took counsel” with the souls of the righteous before creating the world, showing that the souls preceded creation in G‑d’s plan. Since “your people are all righteous,” this applies to every Jew.
ונשתלשל וירד להיות בבחי׳ סוף כל הברואים במעשה וגם הוא למטה במדרגה מכל הברואים עד שהאדם מקבל חיותו מדומם צומח חי וסוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה
And it descended step by step and came down to be at the level of the last of all created beings in [the order of] action. Moreover, [man] is lower in rank than all the creatures, to the point that man receives his life-force from the inanimate, the vegetative and the animal; and “last in deed, first in thought.”
Yet the soul descended to be last and lowest in the actual order of creation, even depending for its life on minerals, plants and animals that it eats. This is the pattern of “last in deed, first in thought”: what is first in intention is completed last in action.
והיינו לפי שמקור חוצבה של הנפש הוא בבחינת נעוץ תחלתן בסופן16 שנמשך מבחי׳ סובב כל עלמין כו׳
This is because the source from which the soul was hewn is at the level of “their beginning is wedged in their end,” which is drawn from the level of the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin), etc.
This reversal reflects the soul’s source in “their beginning is wedged in their end,” a phrase from Sefer Yetzirah describing a level where highest and lowest are joined. Such a level comes from the light that encompasses all worlds (sovev), which transcends the ordinary distinction between high and low.
(ועמ״ש מזה בד״ה כי תצא בענין מאן דקטיל לחויא יהבין ליה ברתא דמלכא ומ״ש בד״ה אלה מסעי בענין ואלה מסעיהם למוצאיהם
(See what is explained on this in the maamar beginning “When you go out,” on the matter of “Whoever kills the snake is given the king’s daughter,” and what is explained in the maamar beginning “These are the journeys,” on the matter of “And these are their journeys according to their goings forth.”
A parenthesis (continuing through part 19) referring to two maamarim in Likkutei Torah where this theme is developed: the Zohar’s saying that whoever kills the snake wins the king’s daughter (overcoming evil earns the highest reward), and the journeys of Israel, which lead back to their source.
והנה בחינה זו מתגלה בחלל הימני שבלב אשר הוא מלא רוח חיים משא״כ חלל השמאלי בו משכן הדם שהוא הנפש ורוח הוא למעלה מבחי׳ נפש וכתיב רוח האדם העולה היא למעלה17 והיינו מ״ש בד״ה האזינו גבי והרוח תשוב18 כו׳.
Now, this level is revealed in the right chamber of the heart, which is full of the spirit (ruach) of life, whereas the left chamber is the dwelling place of the blood, which is the nefesh; and ruach is higher than the level of nefesh. And it is written, “The spirit of man that ascends upward” — this is what is explained in the maamar beginning “Give ear,” regarding “and the spirit returns,” etc.
The high “before” aspect of the soul shows itself in the right chamber of the heart, which is filled with ruach, “spirit,” while the left chamber holds the blood, identified with nefesh, the lower life-soul. Ruach is higher than nefesh, and the verse calls man’s spirit the one “that ascends upward.”
ופי׳ העולה זהו כענין מ״ש והקרבתם עולה וע׳ בפי׳ הר מ״ז בזהר ר״פ צו במ״ש ולדעתי ז״ס רוח האדם העולה למעלה וע׳ ברבות ר״פ תזריע שם בענין ורוח אלקים מרחפת19 כו׳)
And the meaning of “that ascends” (ha’olah) is like what is written, “You shall offer a burnt offering (olah).” See the commentary of the Ramaz on the Zohar at the beginning of Parshas Tzav, where he writes, “In my view, this is the mystery of ‘the spirit of man that ascends upward’”; and see Rabbah at the beginning of Parshas Tazria, there, on the matter of “and the spirit of G‑d hovered,” etc.)
The word ha’olah (“that ascends”) is linked to the olah, the burnt offering that rises entirely to G‑d. The Ramaz (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto), in his commentary on the Zohar, connects the same verse to the olah; and the Midrash on Tazria is cited again, where “the spirit of G‑d hovered” is related to the soul of man.
ומזה נמשך להיות בלב כל אדם בחי׳ רצוא ושוב בחינת רצוא הוא בבחי׳ פנימיות נקודת הלב שבחלל הימני להיות כלתה נפשו לה׳ ולהשתפך נפשו אל חיק אביה מעומקא דליבא
From this it follows that in the heart of every person there is ratzo and shov. The state of ratzo is at the level of the inner dimension of the point of the heart, in the right chamber: that his soul pines for G‑d, and pours itself out into the bosom of its Father from the depths of the heart.
From the soul’s dual source comes the pulse of ratzo and shov in every heart. Ratzo is the inner point of the heart, in its right chamber, breaking out in longing: the soul yearns to expire into G‑d, like a child pouring itself into its father’s embrace.
(וע׳ מענין והחיות רצוא ושוב20 באדר״ז) (דף רפ״ח תחלת ע״ב ודף רצ״ג ע״ב) ובספ״ד בזהר ס״פ תרומה (דקע״ו ע״ב ודף קע״ז סע״א)
(See on the matter of “And the chayos ran and returned” in the Idra Zuta (folio 288, the beginning of side b, and folio 293b), and in the Sifra deTzniusa in the Zohar, at the end of Parshas Terumah (folio 176b and folio 177, the end of side a),
The parenthesis lists where the Zohar discusses “the chayos ran and returned,” Ezekiel’s description of the angelic creatures of the chariot, which Chassidus uses as the model for ratzo and shov.
ובפ׳ ויצא (דקע״ז ב׳) בס״ת וברע״מ פ׳ פנחס (דרנ״ה ע״ב) אשר מהמאמר שבאדר״ז מובן שבחי׳ רצוא ושוב נמשך ממקום גבוה מאד נעלה
and in Parshas Vayeitzei (folio 177b), in the Sisrei Torah, and in the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas (folio 255b). From the passage in the Idra Zuta it is understood that the level of ratzo and shov is drawn from a very high and exalted place.
The listing continues. The Idra Zuta passage shows that the rhythm of ratzo and shov derives from a very lofty source, supporting the claim that the soul’s longing comes from beyond the ordinary order.
ועמ״ש בזה במ״א בד״ה וקבל היהודים ועד״ז נתבאר כאן שמצד מקור חוצבה של הנפש מבחי׳ סוכ״ע מזה נמשך להיות בלב כל אדם בחינת רצוא כו׳
See what is explained on this elsewhere, in the maamar beginning “And the Jews undertook.” In the same way it is explained here that because of the source from which the soul was hewn, from the level of sovev kol almin, it follows from this that in the heart of every person there is the level of ratzo, etc.
The Alter Rebbe restates his point: because the soul is hewn from sovev kol almin, a level beyond the worlds, the capacity for ratzo, rushing toward G‑d, is present in the heart of every person.
בפנימית הלב וכנודע דפנימית הלב זהו נגד מזבח הפנימי שהוא מזבח הזהב אשר בחי׳ זהב הוא אהבה כרשפיאש שלהבת21 עזה העולה למעלה עד שבא לידי כלות הנפש
in the inner dimension of the heart. As is known, the inner dimension of the heart corresponds to the inner altar, which is the golden altar; and the quality of gold is love like “flashes of fire,” a fierce flame that rises upward until it comes to the expiry of the soul.
This ratzo lives in the innermost heart, which corresponds to the Temple’s inner, golden altar. Gold represents fiery love, “flashes of fire,” a flame that surges upward until the soul longs to expire into G‑d.
וזהו כי בכה ארוץ גדוד ובאלקי אדלג שור2223 כו׳ וכמש״ל בענין צור לבבי וחלקי אלקים לעולם24 ועמ״ש בד״ה שרביט הזהב ובד״ה שמאלו תחת לראשי
This is [the meaning of] “For with You I run upon a troop, and with my G‑d I leap over a wall,” etc.; and as explained above on the matter of “The rock of my heart and my portion is G‑d forever.” See what is explained in the maamar beginning “The golden scepter,” and in the maamar beginning “His left hand is under my head,”
The verse “with You I run” expresses this running of the soul toward G‑d. The Alter Rebbe refers to other maamarim on the love called “the rock of my heart,” on the golden scepter, and on “His left hand is under my head,” all of which discuss gold as the higher, fiery love.
מענין כמעלת הזהב על הכסף ובד״ה נאווו לחייך בתורים25 ונקרא תעלומות לב26 לפי שהיא נעלמה ומסתתרת בתוך הלב שאינה באה לכלל גילוי השגת טעם ודעת
on the matter of “as the advantage of gold over silver,” and in the maamar beginning “Your cheeks are comely with rows.” It is called “the hidden things of the heart” because it is hidden and concealed within the heart and does not come to the point of revelation in comprehension through reason and knowledge (daas),
Gold is superior to silver as fiery love is superior to calm, “cool” love. This love is called “the hidden things of the heart” because it stays concealed and does not surface as reasoned understanding.
אלא למעלה מן הדעת מפני ששרשה מאד נעלה ממקום גבוה ונעלה למעלה מן הטעם ודעת והשגת הנבראים והוא בחי׳ קדם שנלקח מבחי׳
but is above knowledge, because its root is very exalted, from a high and exalted place, above reason and knowledge and the comprehension of created beings. This is the level of “before” (kedem), which is taken from the level of
It is above understanding because its root is above all reason and above anything creatures can grasp. This is the soul’s aspect of kedem, “before,” rooted in a level that precedes creation.
כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם27 וגו׳ ובחי׳ ישת חשך סתרו28 וע״ז נאמר יושב בסתר עליון בצל שדי יתלונן29 וכתיב ה׳ צלך30 שהוא בחי׳ צל ולא גילוי אור כו׳
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,” etc., and the level of “He made darkness His hiding place.” Of this it is said, “He who dwells in the hiding place of the Most High abides in the shadow of the Almighty,” and it is written, “G‑d is your shade” — which is the level of shade and not a revelation of light, etc.,
That level is G‑d as He is beyond our thought (“My thoughts are not your thoughts”) and as He conceals Himself (“He made darkness His hiding place”). It is called “shade”: a protective presence that is felt without being seen as open light.
כמ״ש במ״א [וע׳ מ״ש בד״ה שחורה אני ונאוה31 אש שחורה וע׳ ברע״מ פ׳ פנחס דרנ״ה ע״ב הנ״ל] ובחינה זו קיימת לעד שישנה ודאי מסותרת בלב כל אחד מישראל שיכול לעורר את האהבה בשעת התפלה וכיוצא בה.
as is explained elsewhere. [See what is explained in the maamar beginning “I am black but comely,” on “black fire”; and see the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas, folio 255b, mentioned above.] This level endures forever: it is certainly present, hidden, in the heart of every single Jew, so that he can arouse the love at the time of prayer and the like.
This hidden love never disappears. It is present in every Jew’s heart, ready to be awakened during prayer and similar moments; the bracket refers to the maamar on “I am black but comely,” where “black fire” describes a light too intense to be seen.
אך אח״כ יכולה להיות חולפת ועוברת כו׳ מפני שמלובשת ומסותרת בבחינת חיצונית הלב בבחי׳ אחור.32
But afterwards it can pass away and vanish, etc., because it is clothed and hidden in the outer dimension of the heart, the level of “behind.”
After prayer the aroused love can fade, because in daily life it is clothed in the outer layer of the heart, the aspect of “behind.” This explains the soul’s oscillation and sets up the next paragraph.
The maamar opens with the question of why Shemini Atzeres, when the year’s blessing is received, must be preceded by Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkos, and begins its answer with the image of a circle dance: the soul’s relationship with G‑d moves in ratzo and shov. It traces this rhythm to the soul’s two aspects, “before” and “behind,” and locates the hidden, fiery love of the “before” aspect in the innermost point of every Jew’s heart.
The soul’s source in “their beginning is wedged in their end” and in sovev kol almin explains why the lowest being, man, can reach the highest level: the root that transcends the worlds is found precisely at their end. The Kehot notes observe that here ratzo appears higher than shov, while elsewhere in Chassidus shov is explained as the higher stage.
Marei mekomos
- 1
How it connects
The close of the Temple’s dedication under King Solomon. The Alter Rebbe reads “the eighth day” as Shemini Atzeres, when the year’s blessing is received.our note
The source
I Kings 8:66מלכים א ח׳:ס״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)65… קָהָל גָּדוֹל מִלְּבוֹא חֲמָת עַד־נַחַל מִצְרַיִם לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְשִׁבְעַת יָמִים אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם: 66בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שִׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָם וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֵּלְכוּ לְאׇהֳלֵיהֶם שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב עַל כׇּל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ:
65… Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David His servant, and to Israel His people.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 2
On the words
בגמרא פ״ב דשבת ד״ל ע״א
How it connects
The Talmud discusses this verse in connection with the dedication of the Temple. The text itself cites it.our note
The source
Shabbat 30a:8שבת ל׳ א:ח׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שִׁלַּח אֶת הָעָם וַיְבָרֲכוּ אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֵּלְכוּ לְאׇהֳלֵיהֶם שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב עַל כׇּל הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ״. ״וַיֵּלְכוּ לְאׇהֳלֵיהֶם״ — שֶׁמָּצְאוּ נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן בְּטָהֳרָה. ״שְׂמֵחִים״ — שֶׁנֶּהֱנוּ מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה. ״וְטוֹבֵי לֵב״ — שֶׁנִּתְעַבְּרוּ נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל כׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד וְיָלְדָה זָכָר. ״עַל כׇּל הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ (וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ״. ״לְדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ)״ — שֶׁמָּחַל לוֹ עַל אוֹתוֹ עָוֹן. ״וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ״ — דְּאַחֵיל לְהוּ עָוֹן דְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים.
Hebrew: William Davidson, Vocalized Aramaic (CC-BY-NC) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
במדרש רבה פ׳ נח פל״ה
How it connects
The Midrash on Parshas Noach, chapter 35, cited by the text for further discussion of the verse.our note
The source
Bereshit Rabbah 35:1–2בראשית רבה ל״ה:א׳-ב׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)"ויאמר אלקים אל נח ואל בניו וגו'" "ואני הנני מקים", רבי יהודה ורבי נחמיה: רבי יהודה אמר לפי שעבר על הצווי לפיכך נתבזה. ורבי נחמיה אמר הוסיף על הצווי ונהג בקדשה, לפיכך זכה הוא ובניו לדבור ויאמר אלקים אל נח ואל בניו. "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וגו' לְדֹרֹת עוֹלָם", אמר רבי יודן לדרת כתיב, פרט לשני דורות, לדורו של חזקיהו ולדורו של אנשי כנסת הגדולה. רבי חזקיה מוציא דורן של אנשי כנסת הגדולה ומביא דורו של רבי שמעון בן יוחאי. אליהו זכור לטוב ורבי יהושע בן לוי הוון יתבין תנין בחדא, מטון שמועה מן דרבי שמעון בן יוחאי, אמרי הא מרא דשמעתא ניעול ונישייליה, על אליהו זכור לטוב …
“God spoke to Noah, and to his sons with him, saying:” (Genesis 9:8). “And I hereby establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you” (Genesis 9:9). “God spoke to Noah, and to his sons…and I hereby establish” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: Because he violated the command, 34:6). that is why he was degraded. Rabbi Neḥemya said: He went beyond the command, and conducted himself with holiness, and that is why he and his sons merited [to hear God’s] communication: “God spoke to Noah and to his sons.” “God said: This is the sign of the covenant that I place between Me and you, and every living soul that is with you, for eternal generations” (Genesis 9:12). …
Hebrew: Wikisource Bereshit Rabbah (CC-BY-SA) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
כטוב לב המלך
How it connects
The phrase “when the king’s heart was merry,” cited for comparison with “good of heart” in the opening verse.our note
The source
Esther 1:10אסתר א׳:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9גַּם וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה עָשְׂתָה מִשְׁתֵּה נָשִׁים בֵּית הַמַּלְכוּת אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ: 10בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי כְּטוֹב לֵב־הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיָּיִן אָמַר לִמְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָא חַרְבוֹנָא בִּגְתָא וַאֲבַגְתָא זֵתַר וְכַרְכַּס שִׁבְעַת הַסָּרִיסִים הַמְשָׁרְתִים אֶת־פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ: 11לְהָבִיא אֶת־וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת לְהַרְאוֹת הָעַמִּים וְהַשָּׂרִים אֶת־יׇפְיָהּ כִּי־טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה הִיא:
9… queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus. 10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Bizzetha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that ministered in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, 11to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the peoples …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 5
On the words
ובזהר פ׳ אמור דפ״ט ע״א
How it connects
A Zohar passage in Parshas Emor that the text cites on Knesses Yisrael “without blemish.”our note
The source
Zohar, Emor 3:12–6:22ספר הזהר, אמור ג׳:י״ב-ו׳:כ״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 6
On the words
והקרבתם עולה
How it connects
The verse commanding the burnt offering; the Alter Rebbe links the olah, the offering that rises entirely, to the “spirit that ascends.”our note
The source
Numbers 28:27במדבר כ״ח:כ״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)26וּבְיוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַה׳ בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם מִקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כׇּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ: 27וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עוֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַה׳ פָּרִים בְּנֵי־בָקָר שְׁנַיִם אַיִל אֶחָד שִׁבְעָה כְבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה: 28וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר הָאֶחָד שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד:
26… of weeks, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; 27but ye shall present a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD: two young bullocks, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year; 28and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for each bullock, two tenth …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 7
On the words
ואהבת את הוי׳ לאהיך בכל לבבך
How it connects
The command to love G‑d with all one’s heart, whose doubled letter in levavcha is read as “with both your inclinations.”our note
The source
Deuteronomy 6:5דברים ו׳:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל Havayah אֱלֹקֵינוּ Havayah אֶחָד: 5וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶךָ: 6וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם עַל־לְבָבֶךָ:
4HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. 5And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 8
On the words
אחור וקדם צרתני
How it connects
“Behind and before You have formed me”: the verse names the soul’s two aspects, last in action and first in intent.our note
The source
Psalms 139:5תהילים קל״ט:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4כִּי אֵין מִלָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִי הֵן ה׳ יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ: 5אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָה: 6פְּלִיאָה דַעַת מִמֶּנִּי נִשְׂגְּבָה לֹא־אוּכַל לָהּ:
4For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether. 5Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; Too high, I cannot attain unto it.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 9
On the words
במדרש רבה ר״פ תזריע אם זכה
How it connects
The Midrash on “Behind and before You have formed me”: if man is worthy he is told he preceded all creation, and if not, that even the gnat preceded him.our note
The source
Vayikra Rabbah 14:1ויקרא רבה י״ד:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 10
On the words
זח״ב בשלח דנ״ה ע״א
How it connects
A Zohar passage in Beshalach cited by the text on the verse “Behind and before You have formed me.”our note
The source
Zohar, Beshalach 16:230–241ספר הזהר, בשלח ט״ז:ר״ל-רמ״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 11
On the words
ישראל עלו במחשבה
How it connects
The Midrash lists things that preceded creation, among them Israel, who “arose in thought.” The Alter Rebbe reads this as the soul’s aspect of “before.”our note
The source
Bereshit Rabbah 1:4בראשית רבה א׳:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)… "ה' קנני ראשית דרכו" כסא הכבוד מנין דכתיב (תהלים צג, ב): "נכון כסאך מאז וגו'". האבות וישראל ובית המקדש ושמו של משיח, עלו במחשבה להבראות האבות מנין שנאמר (הושע ט, י): "כענבים במדבר וגו'" ישראל מנין שנאמר (תהלים עד, ב): "זכור עדתך קנית קדם" בית המקדש מנין שנאמר (ירמיה יז, יב): "כסא כבוד מרום מראשון וגו'" שמו של משיח מנין שנאמר (תהלים עב, יז): "יהי שמו לעולם וגו' [לפני שמש ינון שמו]" רבי אהבה ברבי זעירא אמר אף התשובה שנאמר (שם צ, ב) "בטרם הרים יולדו" ואותה השעה (שם, ג) "תשב אנוש עד דכא וגו'" אבל איני יודע איזה מהם קודם אם התורה קדמה לכסא הכבוד ואם כסא הכבוד קודם לתורה א"ר אבא בר כהנא התורה קדמה לכסא הכבוד שנאמר …
“In the beginning, God created” – six items preceded the creation of the world; some of them were [actually] created, and some of them God contemplated creating, [though He did not actually do so]. The Torah and the Throne of Glory were created. Torah, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “The Lord made me at the beginning of His way” (Proverbs 8:22). The Throne of Glory, from where is it derived? “Your throne stands firm from earliest time, [You are from eternity]” (Psalms 93:2). The patriarchs, Israel, the Temple, and the name of the messianic king – God contemplated creating them [before the world, but did not]. The patriarchs, from where is it derived? “Like grapes in the …
Hebrew: Wikisource Bereshit Rabbah (CC-BY-SA) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 12
On the words
ובראשית בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית
How it connects
Rashi cites the Midrash that the world was created for the sake of Israel, who are called “first.”our note
The source
Rashi on Genesis 1:2רש"י על בראשית א׳:ב׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1… הַקָּבָּ"ה הִיא, הוּא בְרָאָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינָיו, בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְתָנָהּ לָהֶם, וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָהּ לָנוּ: 2תהו ובהו. תֹּהוּ לְשׁוֹן תֵּמַהּ וְשִׁמָּמוֹן, שֶׁאָדָם תּוֹהֵא וּמִשְׁתּוֹמֵם עַל בֹּהוּ שֶׁבָּהּ: תהו. אשטורדי"שון בְּלַעַ"ז: בהו. לְשׁוֹן רֵקוּת וְצָדוּ: על פני תהום. עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם שֶׁעַל הָאָרֶץ: ורוח אלקים מרחפת. כִּסֵא הַכָּבוֹד עוֹמֵד בָּאֲוִיר וּמְרַחֵף עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם בְּרוּחַ פִּיו שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה וּבְמַאֲמָרוֹ, כְּיוֹנָה הַמְרַחֶפֶת עַל הַקֵּן, אקוב"טיר בְּלַעַ"ז: 3ברא אלקים וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּרָא ה', שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה עָלָה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה לִבְרֹאתוֹ בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין, רָאָה שֶׁאֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּם, …
1… willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187). 2תהו ובהו DESOLATE AND VOID — The word תהו signifies astonishment and amazement, for a person would have been astonished and amazed at its emptiness. תהו is estordison in old French. בהו VOID — The word signifies emptiness and empty space. על פני תהום ON THE FACE OF THE DEEP — i. e. the waters which were upon the earth. ורוח אלהים מרחפת AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS HOVERING — The throne of Divine Glory was standing in space, hovering over the face of the waters by the breath of the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, and by His command, even as a dove hovers over its nest. In old French acoveter. 3ברא אלהים GOD [AS JUDGE] CREATED — It does not state 'ברא ה “The Lord (the …
Hebrew: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 (Public Domain) · English: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 13
On the words
ובראשית בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית
How it connects
The Midrash that the world was created in the merit of Israel, who are called reishis.our note
The source
Vayikra Rabbah 36:4ויקרא רבה ל״ו:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 14
On the words
במי נמלך בנשמותיהם של צדיקים
How it connects
The Midrash that G‑d took counsel with the souls of the righteous before creating man, showing that the souls preceded creation.our note
The source
Bereshit Rabbah 8:7בראשית רבה ח׳:ז׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)רבי יהושע דסכנין בשם רבי שמואל אמר: בנפשותן של צדיקים נמלך, הדא הוא דכתיב (ד"ה א ד): המה היוצרים ויושבי נטעים וגדרה עם המלך במלאכתו ישבו שמה. המה היוצרים, על שם וייצר ה' אלקים את האדם עפר מן האדמה. יושבי נטעים, על שם ויטע ה' אלקים גן בעדן מקדם. וגדרה, על שם (ירמיה ה) אשר שמתי חול גבול לים. עם המלך במלאכתו ישבו, עם המלך מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא ישבו נפשות של צדיקים, שבהן נמלך הקדוש ב"ה וברא את העולם:
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: He consulted with the souls of the righteous. That is what is written: “They are the potters and the inhabitants of Neta’im and Gedera; they dwelled there with the king for his works” (I Chronicles 4:23). “They are the potters [hayotzerim]” – alluding to: “the Lord God formed [vayitzer] man of dust from the ground” (Genesis 2:7). “Inhabitants of Neta’im” – alluding to: “the Lord God planted [vayita] a garden eastward in Eden” (Genesis 2:8). “And Gedera” – after “for I set the sand as a barrier [gader] for the sea” (Jeremiah 5:22). “They dwelled there with the king for his works” (I Chronicles 4:23) – “with the king,” the King of …
Hebrew: Daat Bereshit Rabbah (Public Domain) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 15
On the words
ועמך כולם צדיקים
How it connects
“Your people are all righteous”: the Alter Rebbe uses it to extend the Midrash about the souls of the righteous to every Jew.our note
The source
Isaiah 60:21ישעיהו ס׳:כ״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)20לֹא־יָבוֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף כִּי ה׳ יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וְשָׁלְמוּ יְמֵי אֶבְלֵךְ: 21וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר: 22הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם אֲנִי Havayah בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה:
20… the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, And the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 21Thy people also shall be all righteous, They shall inherit the land for ever; The branch of My planting, the work of My hands, Wherein I glory. 22The smallest shall become a thousand, And the least a mighty nation; I the LORD will …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 16
On the words
נעוץ תחלתן בסופן
How it connects
Sefer Yetzirah describes the Sefiros as having their end wedged in their beginning and their beginning in their end: the highest and lowest are bound together.our note
The source
Sefer Yetzirah 1:7ספר יצירה א׳:ז׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)עשר ספירות בלי מה נעוץ סופן בתחלתן ותחלתן בסופן כשלהבת קשורה בגחלת שאדון יחיד ואין לו שני ולפני אחד מה אתה סופר:
Ten SEFIROT BELIMAH—Their end is attached to their start, like the flame-tongue is bound to the coal. For the Lord is unique, He has no second—before one, what can you count?
Hebrew: Sefer Yetzirah, Warsaw 1884 (Public Domain) · English: Sefaria Community Translation (CC0) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
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How it connects
The verse speaks of the spirit of man that ascends upward; the Alter Rebbe identifies it with the ruach in the right chamber of the heart.our note
The source
Ecclesiastes 3:21קהלת ג׳:כ״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)20הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל־הֶעָפָר: 21מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעֹלָה הִיא לְמָעְלָה וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיֹּרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ: 22וְרָאִיתִי כִּי אֵין טוֹב מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׂמַח הָאָדָם בְּמַעֲשָׂיו כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקוֹ כִּי מִי יְבִיאֶנּוּ לִרְאוֹת בְּמֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו:
20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust. 21Who knoweth the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth? 22Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 18
On the words
והרוח תשוב
How it connects
“And the spirit returns to G‑d who gave it,” discussed in the maamar on “Give ear” to which the text refers.our note
The source
Ecclesiastes 12:7קהלת י״ב:ז׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)6עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־[יֵרָתֵק] (ירחק) חֶבֶל הַכֶּסֶף וְתָרוּץ גֻּלַּת הַזָּהָב וְתִשָּׁבֶר כַּד עַל־הַמַּבּוּעַ וְנָרֹץ הַגַּלְגַּל אֶל־הַבּוֹר: 7וְיָשֹׁב הֶעָפָר עַל־הָאָרֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָה וְהָרוּחַ תָּשׁוּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹקִים אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָהּ: 8הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר הַקּוֹהֶלֶת הַכֹּל הָבֶל:
6… And the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit; 7And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it. 8Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 19
On the words
ורוח אלקים מרחפת
How it connects
“The spirit of G‑d hovered over the waters”; the Midrash on Tazria relates it to the soul of man.our note
The source
Genesis 1:2בראשית א׳:ב׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ: 2וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם: 3וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר:
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. 3And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 20
On the words
והחיות רצוא ושוב
How it connects
Ezekiel’s vision of the chayos, the angelic creatures that “ran and returned.” Chassidus takes this as the model for the soul’s rhythm of longing and return.our note
The source
Ezekiel 1:14יחזקאל א׳:י״דSefaria (opens in a new tab)13וּדְמוּת הַחַיּוֹת מַרְאֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ בֹּעֲרוֹת כְּמַרְאֵה הַלַּפִּדִים הִיא מִתְהַלֶּכֶת בֵּין הַחַיּוֹת וְנֹגַהּ לָאֵשׁ וּמִן־הָאֵשׁ יוֹצֵא בָרָק: 14וְהַחַיּוֹת רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב כְּמַרְאֵה הַבָּזָק: 15וָאֵרֶא הַחַיּוֹת וְהִנֵּה אוֹפַן אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ אֵצֶל הַחַיּוֹת לְאַרְבַּעַת פָּנָיו:
13… creatures; and there was brightness to the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 15Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel at the bottom hard by the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 21
On the words
כרשפיאש שלהבת
How it connects
“Its flashes are flashes of fire, a flame of G‑d”: the image of fiery love, identified here with gold and the inner altar.our note
The source
Song of Songs 8:6שיר השירים ח׳:ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)5מִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן־הַמִּדְבָּר מִתְרַפֶּקֶת עַל־דּוֹדָהּ תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלַתְךָ אִמֶּךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָה יְלָדַתְךָ: 6שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל־לִבֶּךָ כַּחוֹתָם עַל־זְרוֹעֶךָ כִּי־עַזָּה כַמָּוֶת אַהֲבָה קָשָׁה כִשְׁאוֹל קִנְאָה רְשָׁפֶיהָ רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ שַׁלְהֶבֶתְיָה: 7מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ אִם־יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת־כׇּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאַהֲבָה בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ:
5… thy mother was in travail with thee; There was she in travail and brought thee forth. 6Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm; For love is strong as death, Jealousy is cruel as the grave; The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, A very flame of the LORD. 7Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can the floods drown it; If a man would give …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 22
On the words
כי בכה ארוץ גדוד ובאלקי אדלג שור
How it connects
David’s song: “with You I run upon a troop, with my G‑d I leap over a wall.” The Alter Rebbe reads the running as the soul’s ratzo.our note
The source
II Samuel 22:30שמואל ב כ״ב:ל׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)29כִּי־אַתָּה נֵירִי Havayah וַHavayah יַגִּיהַּ חׇשְׁכִּי: 30כִּי בְכָה אָרוּץ גְּדוּד בֵּאלֹקַי אֲדַלֶּג־שׁוּר: 31הָאֵל תָּמִים דַּרְכּוֹ אִמְרַת ה׳ צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לְכֹל הַחֹסִים בּוֹ:
29For Thou art my lamp, O LORD; And the LORD doth lighten my darkness. 30For by Thee I run upon a troop; By my God do I scale a wall. 31As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is tried; He is …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 23
On the words
כי בכה ארוץ גדוד ובאלקי אדלג שור
How it connects
The parallel verse in Psalms, where the wording is slightly different, as the Kehot note points out.our note
The source
Psalms 18:30תהילים י״ח:ל׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)29כִּי־אַתָּה תָּאִיר נֵרִי ה׳ אֱלֹקַי יַגִּיהַּ חׇשְׁכִּי: 30כִּי־בְךָ אָרֻץ גְּדוּד וּבֵאלֹקַי אֲדַלֶּג־שׁוּר: 31הָאֵל תָּמִים דַּרְכּוֹ אִמְרַת־ה׳ צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לְכֹל הַחֹסִים בּוֹ:
29For Thou dost light my lamp; the LORD my God doth lighten my darkness. 30For by Thee I run upon a troop; and by my God do I scale a wall. 31As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; He is …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 24
On the words
צור לבבי וחלקי אלקים לעולם
How it connects
“The rock of my heart and my portion is G‑d forever,” discussed earlier in Likkutei Torah as the love hidden in the heart.our note
The source
Psalms 73:26תהילים ע״ג:כ״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)25מִי־לִי בַשָּׁמָיִם וְעִמְּךָ לֹא־חָפַצְתִּי בָאָרֶץ: 26כָּלָה שְׁאֵרִי וּלְבָבִי צוּר־לְבָבִי וְחֶלְקִי אֱלֹקִים לְעוֹלָם: 27כִּי־הִנֵּה רְחֵקֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ הִצְמַתָּה כׇּל־זוֹנֶה מִמֶּךָּ:
25Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth. 26My flesh and my heart faileth; But God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever. 27For, lo, they that go far from Thee shall perish; Thou dost destroy all them that …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 25
On the words
נאווו לחייך בתורים
How it connects
“Your cheeks are comely with rows [of ornaments]”; the maamar on this verse discusses gold and silver as two kinds of love.our note
The source
Song of Songs 1:10שיר השירים א׳:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9לְסֻסָתִי בְּרִכְבֵי פַרְעֹה דִּמִּיתִיךְ רַעְיָתִי: 10נָאווּ לְחָיַיִךְ בַּתֹּרִים צַוָּארֵךְ בַּחֲרוּזִים: 11תּוֹרֵי זָהָב נַעֲשֶׂה־לָּךְ עִם נְקֻדּוֹת הַכָּסֶף:
9I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots. 10Thy cheeks are comely with circlets, Thy neck with beads. 11We will make thee circlets of gold With studs of silver.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 26
On the words
תעלומות לב
How it connects
“He knows the hidden things of the heart”: the name for the love concealed in the heart’s depths.our note
The source
Psalms 44:22תהילים מ״ד:כ״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)21אִם־שָׁכַחְנוּ שֵׁם אֱלֹקֵינוּ וַנִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפֵּינוּ לְאֵל זָר: 22הֲלֹא אֱלֹקִים יַחֲקׇר־זֹאת כִּי־הוּא יֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלֻמוֹת לֵב: 23כִּי־עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כׇל־הַיּוֹם נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ כְּצֹאן טִבְחָה:
21… forgotten the name of our God, or spread forth our hands to a strange god; . 22Would not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart. 23Nay, but for Thy sake are we killed all the day; we are accounted as sheep …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 27
On the words
כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם
How it connects
G‑d’s thoughts are not like human thoughts: the level beyond all understanding in which the soul’s kedem is rooted.our note
The source
Isaiah 55:8ישעיהו נ״ה:ח׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)7יַעֲזֹב רָשָׁע דַּרְכּוֹ וְאִישׁ אָוֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָיו וְיָשֹׁב אֶל־ה׳ וִירַחֲמֵהוּ וְאֶל־אֱלֹקֵינוּ כִּי־יַרְבֶּה לִסְלוֹחַ: 8כִּי לֹא מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם וְלֹא דַרְכֵיכֶם דְּרָכָי נְאֻם ה׳ 9כִּי־גָבְהוּ שָׁמַיִם מֵאָרֶץ כֵּן גָּבְהוּ דְרָכַי מִדַּרְכֵיכֶם וּמַחְשְׁבֹתַי מִמַּחְשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם:
7… and He will have compassion upon him, And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon 8For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 28
On the words
ישת חשך סתרו
How it connects
“He made darkness His hiding place”: the concealed level of G‑dliness, higher than revealed light.our note
The source
Psalms 18:12תהילים י״ח:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וַיִּרְכַּב עַל־כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף וַיֵּדֶא עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רוּחַ: 12יָשֶׁת־חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ חֶשְׁכַת־מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים: 13מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבָיו עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ:
11… a cherub, and did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind. 12He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 13At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds Hailstones and coals of fire.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 29
On the words
יושב בסתר עליון בצל שדי יתלונן
How it connects
“He who dwells in the hiding place of the Most High abides in the shadow of the Almighty”: shelter under a hidden, protective presence.our note
The source
Psalms 91:1תהילים צ״א:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1יֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן בְּצֵל שַׁ־דַּי יִתְלוֹנָן: 2אֹמַר לַה׳ מַחְסִי וּמְצוּדָתִי אֱלֹקַי אֶבְטַח־בּוֹ:
1O thou that dwellest in the covert of the Most High, And abidest in the shadow of the Almighty; 2I will say of the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 30
On the words
ה׳ צלך
How it connects
“G‑d is your shade”: the Alter Rebbe uses “shade” for a divine presence that protects without being openly revealed.our note
The source
Psalms 121:5תהילים קכ״א:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל: 5ה׳ שֹׁמְרֶךָ ה׳ צִלְּךָ עַל־יַד יְמִינֶךָ: 6יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא־יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה:
4Behold, He that keepeth Israel Doth neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper; The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 31
On the words
שחורה אני ונאוה
How it connects
“I am black but comely”; the maamar on this verse discusses “black fire.”our note
The source
Song of Songs 1:5שיר השירים א׳:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4מׇשְׁכֵנִי אַחֲרֶיךָ נָּרוּצָה הֱבִיאַנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲדָרָיו נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ נַזְכִּירָה דֹדֶיךָ מִיַּיִן מֵישָׁרִים אֲהֵבוּךָ: 5שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי וְנָאוָה בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם כְּאׇהֳלֵי קֵדָר כִּירִיעוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה: 6אַל־תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת שֶׁשְּׁזָפַתְנִי הַשָּׁמֶשׁ בְּנֵי אִמִּי נִחֲרוּ־בִי שָׂמֻנִי נֹטֵרָה אֶת־הַכְּרָמִים כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי לֹא נָטָרְתִּי:
4… in thee, We will find thy love more fragrant than wine! Sincerely do they love thee. 5’I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6Look not upon me, that I am swarthy, That the sun hath tanned me; My mother’s …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 32
How it connects
“Like the dance of the two camps”; the text refers to the Midrash on this verse for the image of dancing.our note
The source
Song of Songs 7:1שיר השירים ז׳:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי הַשּׁוּלַמִּית שׁוּבִי שׁוּבִי וְנֶחֱזֶה־בָּךְ מַה־תֶּחֱזוּ בַּשּׁוּלַמִּית כִּמְחֹלַת הַמַּחֲנָיִם: 2מַה־יָּפוּ פְעָמַיִךְ בַּנְּעָלִים בַּת־נָדִיב חַמּוּקֵי יְרֵכַיִךְ כְּמוֹ חֲלָאִים מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אׇמָּן:
1Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulammite? As it were a dance of two companies. 2How beautiful are thy steps in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The roundings of thy thighs are …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
2ומ״מ רשימו ניכר ונשאר קיים בהעלם בבחנית מקיף לבד להיות מחסה ומסתיר כדי שיוכל להיות סור מרע1 ועשה טוב כל היום אף אם פנימיות נקודת לבבו בל עמו בהתגלות רשפי אש כמו בשעת התפלה
Nevertheless, an impression (reshimu) of it is discernible and remains present in concealment, as an encompassing [light] (makif) alone, to be a shelter and a cover, so that one can “turn from evil and do good” all day long, even when the inner point of his heart is not with him in revelation, [as] flashes of fire, as at the time of prayer.
Even when the fiery love of prayer has faded, a trace of it remains. It no longer burns inwardly but hovers over the person as a makif, an “encompassing” influence felt from outside, protecting him so that he can keep away from evil and do good throughout the day.
ולכן נקרא בחי׳ צל כמו שה צל הוא מגין להיות מחסה ומסתיר מחום השמש ומזרם וממטר.
Therefore it is called the level of “shade”: just as shade protects, to be a shelter and a cover from the heat of the sun and from storm and rain,
This is why it is called “shade.” Shade is not the sun itself, yet it shelters a person from heat, storm and rain.
כך הנה אהבה זו שמבחי׳ פנימיות נקודת הבל אף שהיא מסותרת ומתעלמת ואינה באה לכלל
so too this love, which comes from the inner point of the heart, although it is hidden and concealed and does not come to the point of
The hidden love from the inner point of the heart works the same way: after prayer it is no longer openly felt,
גילוי בכל היום אחר התפלה וכיוצא בה מ״מ הוא בבחינת מקיף על בחינת חיצוניות הלב בחינת אחור שלא יפול אחור לגמרי באהבה רעה ח״ו
revelation all day long, after prayer and the like, nevertheless it is as an encompassing [light] over the outer dimension of the heart, the level of “behind,” so that one should not fall behind altogether into an evil love, G‑d forbid.
yet it still surrounds the outer layer of the heart, the aspect of “behind,” and prevents a person from falling entirely into “evil love,” that is, desire for what is opposed to G‑d.
והיינו מפני שבחי׳ אהבה זו היא ודאי מסותרת בבחינת פנימית נקודת הלב וקיימת לעד בל תמוט לעולם ועד2 לפי שהוא בטבע הבריאה מששת ימי בראשית כנ״ל.
This is because this love is certainly hidden in the inner point of the heart and endures forever, never to be moved, forever and ever, since it is in the very nature of creation from the six days of creation, as said above.
This protection is dependable because the hidden love is part of the soul’s very nature, built into creation from the beginning, as explained in the first paragraph. It can be covered, but never removed.
אך הנה עיקר עבודת האדם להיות נקרא בשם עבודת עבד ועיקר העבודה בלב כדכתיב ולעבדו בכל לבבכם והיינו האהבה להוציא מבחי׳ ההעלם אל בחי׳ הגילוי בלב ולהמשיך בחינת חשך.
However, the essence of a person’s service, for it to be called by the name “the service of a servant” — and the essence of service is in the heart, as it is written, “and to serve Him with all your heart” — is this: to bring the love out of the state of concealment into the state of revelation in the heart, and to draw the level of darkness,
Having a hidden love is not yet service. True “service of a servant,” which the Torah calls “service of the heart,” means bringing that concealed love out into open feeling in the heart,
that is, the level of “He made darkness His hiding place” mentioned above, so that it be in a state of light and revelation, as it is written, “Though I sit in darkness, Havayah is a light to me.”
and so drawing the concealed level of G‑dliness, “He made darkness His hiding place,” into revealed light. The verse from Micah expresses this: from within darkness, G‑d becomes light.
This paragraph explains how the hidden love survives in daily life as protective “shade” over the outer heart, and then defines the real task of service: to bring that concealed love, and the concealed G‑dliness it comes from, into open revelation in the heart.
The contrast between an inner light (pnimi) that is felt and an encompassing light (makif) that acts from outside runs through Chassidus. Here the same love is pnimi during prayer and makif afterwards.
Marei mekomos
- 1
How it connects
“Turn from evil and do good”: the daily conduct that the hidden love protects, even after prayer.our note
The source
Psalms 37:27תהילים ל״ז:כ״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)26כׇּל־הַיּוֹם חוֹנֵן וּמַלְוֶה וְזַרְעוֹ לִבְרָכָה: 27סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה־טוֹב וּשְׁכֹן לְעוֹלָם: 28כִּי ה׳ אֹהֵב מִשְׁפָּט וְלֹא־יַעֲזֹב אֶת־חֲסִידָיו לְעוֹלָם נִשְׁמָרוּ וְזֶרַע רְשָׁעִים נִכְרָת:
26All the day long he dealeth graciously, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. 27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28For the LORD loveth justice, And forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever; but …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 2
How it connects
Said of the earth that G‑d founded so it will never be moved; here it describes the permanence of the soul’s hidden love.our note
The source
Psalms 104:5תהילים ק״ד:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לֹהֵט: 5יָסַד־אֶרֶץ עַל־מְכוֹנֶיהָ בַּל־תִּמּוֹט עוֹלָם וָעֶד: 6תְּהוֹם כַּלְּבוּשׁ כִּסִּיתוֹ עַל־הָרִים יַעַמְדוּ־מָיִם:
4Who makest winds Thy messengers, the flaming fire Thy ministers. 5Who didst establish the earth upon its foundations, that it should not be moved for ever and ever; 6Thou didst cover it with the deep as with a vesture; the waters stood above the mountains.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 3
On the words
כי אשב בחשך הוי׳ אור לי
How it connects
“Though I sit in darkness, G‑d is a light to me”: the goal of turning concealment into revelation.our note
The source
Micah 7:8מיכה ז׳:ח׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)7וַאֲנִי בַּה׳ אֲצַפֶּה אוֹחִילָה לֵאלֹקֵי יִשְׁעִי יִשְׁמָעֵנִי אֱלֹקָי: 8אַל־תִּשְׂמְחִי אֹיַבְתִּי לִי כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי כִּי־אֵשֵׁב בַּחֹשֶׁךְ ה׳ אוֹר לִי: 9זַעַף ה׳ אֶשָּׂא כִּי חָטָאתִי לוֹ עַד אֲשֶׁר יָרִיב רִיבִי וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּטִי יוֹצִיאֵנִי לָאוֹר אֶרְאֶה בְּצִדְקָתוֹ:
7… the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. 8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; Though I am fallen, I shall arise; Though I sit in darkness, the LORD is a light unto me. 9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him; Until He …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
How it connects
The concealed level of G‑dliness that service draws into revealed light.our note
The source
Psalms 18:12תהילים י״ח:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וַיִּרְכַּב עַל־כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף וַיֵּדֶא עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רוּחַ: 12יָשֶׁת־חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ חֶשְׁכַת־מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים: 13מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבָיו עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ:
11… a cherub, and did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind. 12He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 13At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds Hailstones and coals of fire.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 5
How it connects
“To serve Him with all your heart”: the Sages call this the service of the heart, and the Alter Rebbe uses it to define service as bringing hidden love into the heart.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 11:13דברים י״א:י״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)12אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־Havayah אֱלֹקֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד עֵינֵי Havayah אֱלֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה: 13וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם וּלְעׇבְדוֹ בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁכֶם: 14וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר־אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ:
12… upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. . 13And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
3והנה ענין מאמר ויאמר אלהים יהי אור שהארץ היתה חשך כו׳. ולזה צריך להיות עבודה תמה ואין כל חדש תחת השמש1
This is the matter of the utterance “And G‑d said, ‘Let there be light,’” for “the earth was darkness,” etc. For this there must be wholehearted service; and “there is nothing new under the sun”
The first act of creation, “Let there be light” over an earth of darkness, is the model for this service: bringing light out of darkness. There is “nothing new under the sun” in the sense that nothing is created anew;
רק להוציא מההעלם אל הגלוי ולזה נתנה קצבה לימי האדם ימי שנותיו בהם שבעים שנה כדי לעמול בעבודה זו וענין שבעים שנה ביאר הכתוב ימי שנותינו בהם2 בהם דייקא
except to bring out from concealment into revelation. For this a set measure was given to the days of man — “the days of his years, in them, are seventy years” — in order to toil in this service. And the verse explained the matter of the seventy years: “the days of our years, in them” — “in them” specifically,
all our work is to reveal what is already present but hidden. That is why a person is given a lifetime of about seventy years, and the verse says “in them” to stress that the years themselves are the arena of this toil.
שהם בחי׳ רשות הרבים וכדי שיוכל להיות בחינת רשות היחיד ליחודו ית׳ צריך עבודה ויגיעה רבה כמה בחינות ומדריגות עד מלאת בחינת שבעים שנה כו׳
for they are the level of the public domain; and in order that there be the level of the private domain for His unity, may He be blessed, much service and toil are needed, [through] many levels and stages, until the level of seventy years is completed, etc.,
The seventy years correspond to the “public domain,” a halachic term here meaning the world of multiplicity. Turning it into a “private domain” for G‑d’s unity, a place where only the One is felt, takes long and layered effort across a whole life.
וכמ״ש במ״א (וע׳ מ״ש מזה בד״ה אם בחקתי תלכו והנה כדי להמשיך גילוי מבחי׳ ישת חשך סתרו לבא בבחי׳ אור וגילוי זהו ע״י אתעדל״ת ממה שמהפך חשוכא לנהורא וכמ״ש סד״ה וידעת היום והיינו מ״ש בזח״ב בשלח)
as is explained elsewhere. (See what is explained on this in the maamar beginning “If you walk in My statutes.” Now, in order to draw down a revelation from the level of “He made darkness His hiding place” to come into a state of light and revelation, this is through an arousal from below, by turning darkness into light, as is explained at the end of the maamar beginning “Know this day.” And this is what is said in Zohar II, Beshalach)
The parenthesis explains how the hidden level is revealed: through an arousal from below, the person’s own effort in turning darkness into light. The Alter Rebbe points to other maamarim that develop this and to a passage of the Zohar.
(דנ״ז ע״א) שע״י שמבקעין כל אינון כותלי חשוכא דהיינו החשך דנה״ב והגוף עי״ז ממשיכים הגילוי מבחינת ישת חשך סתרו וזהו ענין לראות פני.3
(folio 57a): that by breaking through all those walls of darkness — that is, the darkness of the animal soul and the body — one thereby draws down the revelation from the level of “He made darkness His hiding place.” And this is the meaning of “to see My face.”
The Zohar teaches that breaking through the “walls of darkness,” the coarseness of the animal soul and the body, draws down the revelation of the most hidden level of G‑d. This is what the verse means by “to see My face”: an unveiled encounter with G‑d.
ועד״ז נתבאר במ״א ע״פ מאמר הזח״ג בפ׳ פנחס (דרמ״ט תחלת ע״ב) בענין ועאלת לגו טורא דחשוכא כו׳
In the same way it is explained elsewhere, on the statement of Zohar III, Parshas Pinchas (folio 249, the beginning of side b), regarding “and she entered into the mountain of darkness,” etc.:
Another Zohar passage speaks of entering “the mountain of darkness.” The Alter Rebbe reads it in the same way.
שעל ידי העלאת מ״ן מבירור ק״נ שנקרא טורא דחשוכא ממשיכים מבחי׳ ישת חשך סתרו שנקרא ג״כ טורא דחשוכא מה שלמעלה מעלה מטורי דנהורא כמ״ש מזה בביאור ע״פ מנורת זהב כולה.
that through the raising of mayin nukvin (feminine waters) from the refinement of kelipas nogah, which is called “the mountain of darkness,” one draws down from the level of “He made darkness His hiding place,” which is also called “the mountain of darkness” — that which is far, far higher than the mountains of light; as is explained on this in the explanation of “A candelabrum all of gold.”
Refining kelipas nogah, the mixed realm of permitted physical things that can be raised to holiness, sends up “feminine waters,” the Kabbalistic term for an ascent initiated from below. That lower “darkness” then draws down the higher “darkness,” G‑d’s concealed essence, which is above even the revealed “mountains of light.”
ומכ״ז יובן מ״ש בספ״ד (דקע״ו סע״ב) והחיות רצוא ושוב456 דכתיב וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב7 פי׳ כי על ידי הרצוא ממשיכים מבחי׳ ישת חשך סתרו8 להיות בבחי׳ אור וגילוי כנ״ל
From all this will be understood what is said in the Sifra deTzniusa (folio 176, the end of side b): “And the chayos ran and returned,” as it is written, “And G‑d saw the light, that it was good.” This means: through the ratzo one draws down from the level of “He made darkness His hiding place” so that it be in a state of light and revelation, as said above.
Now the Zohar’s link between “the chayos ran and returned” and “G‑d saw the light, that it was good” can be understood. The ratzo, the soul’s outward rush, is what brings the hidden level into light.
אך כי טוב היינו כי טוב לגנוז וזהו בחי׳ השוב שהוא לגנוז האור בכלים מכלים שונים דתומ״צ שעי״ז דייקא מתקיים האור משא״כ אור בלי כלי
But “that it was good” means “that it is good to hide it away”; and this is the level of shov, which is to hide away the light in vessels, from the various vessels of Torah and mitzvos, for specifically through this the light endures, whereas light without a vessel [does not].
“That it was good” is read as “good to hide it away,” and this is the shov: storing the light in vessels, the Torah and mitzvos. A light without a vessel does not last; the vessel is what keeps it.
וזהו שאמרו רז״ל שמור זו משנה9 וע׳ בזהר ח״ג פ׳ בלק (דף ר״ד ע״ס) ע״פ בקר אערך לך ואצפה10 כד״א ויצפהו כו׳ ע״ש והיינו בחינת האור כי טוב לגנוז:1112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839
This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “‘Keep’ — this is Mishnah.” And see Zohar III, Parshas Balak (folio 204), on “In the morning I will set [my prayer] before You and will watch,” as it says, “and he overlaid it,” etc.; see there. And this is the level of the light, “that it is good to hide it away.”
The Sages’ saying “‘keep’ refers to Mishnah” shows that Torah study is the vessel that “keeps” the light. The Zohar on “in the morning… I will watch” is cited for the same idea of guarding and covering, and all this is the light “that is good to hide away.”
Service means drawing the concealed G‑dliness into light, and this paragraph describes its two movements: ratzo, which reveals the hidden level through the effort of breaking through darkness, and shov, which stores that light in the vessels of Torah and mitzvos so that it lasts.
Here ratzo and shov are mapped onto the Zohar’s reading of Genesis 1:4: the ratzo reveals the light, and the shov, “good to hide it away,” gives the light its lasting home. The idea that the lower “mountain of darkness,” once refined, reaches the higher “darkness” above the lights reflects the principle of “their beginning wedged in their end” from the first paragraph.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
אין כל חדש תחת השמש
How it connects
“There is nothing new under the sun”: our task is not to create but to reveal what is already hidden.our note
The source
Ecclesiastes 1:9קהלת א׳:ט׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)8כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹעַ: 9מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה הוּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְאֵין כׇּל־חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ: 10יֵשׁ דָּבָר שֶׁיֹּאמַר רְאֵה־זֶה חָדָשׁ הוּא כְּבָר הָיָה לְעֹלָמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה מִלְּפָנֵנוּ:
8… cannot utter it, The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing. 9That which hath been is that which shall be, And that which hath been done is that which shall be done; And there is nothing new under the sun. 10Is there a thing whereof it is said: ‘See, this is new’?—it hath been already, in …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
קהלת א, ט.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 2
On the words
ימי שנותינו בהם
How it connects
“The days of our years, in them, are seventy years”; the Alter Rebbe stresses “in them” as the years in which this service is done.our note
The source
Psalms 90:10תהילים צ׳:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9כִּי כׇל־יָמֵינוּ פָּנוּ בְעֶבְרָתֶךָ כִּלִּינוּ שָׁנֵינוּ כְמוֹ־הֶגֶה: 10יְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרׇהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן כִּי־גָז חִישׁ וַנָּעֻפָה: 11מִי־יוֹדֵעַ עֹז אַפֶּךָ וּכְיִרְאָתְךָ עֶבְרָתֶךָ:
9… in Thy wrath; We bring our years to an end as a tale that is told. 10The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but travail and vanity; For it is speedily gone, and we fly away. 11Who knoweth the power of Thine anger, And Thy wrath according to the fear that is …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים צ, י.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 3
On the words
לראות פני
How it connects
The phrase describes coming before G‑d; here it stands for the revelation of G‑d’s “face” that breaking through darkness brings.our note
The source
Isaiah 1:12ישעיהו א׳:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11לָמָּה־לִּי רֹב־זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר ה׳ שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים לֹא חָפָצְתִּי: 12כִּי תָבֹאוּ לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי מִי־בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי: 13לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ הָבִיא מִנְחַת־שָׁוְא קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא לִי חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא לֹא־אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה:
11… beasts; And I delight not in the blood Of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. 12When ye come to appear before Me, Who hath required this at your hand, To trample My courts? 13Bring no more vain oblations; It is an offering of abomination unto Me; New moon and …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
בחי׳ רצוא ושוב
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to where this is explained further: Or HaTorah.
Where the note points
Or HaTorahאור התורהby the Tzemach Tzedek · p. 1819
The Tzemach Tzedek’s maamarim and notes on the Torah, arranged by parsha; many of them expand the maamarim of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah.
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
באוה״ת כאן ע׳ א׳תתיט ובאוה״ת בשלח ע׳ תקכד דכאן משמע שהרצוא גבוה מבחי׳ שוב, ובכ״מ בדא״ח מבואר שהשוב גבוה ע״ש.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 5
How it connects
The running and returning of the chayos, the model for ratzo and shov.our note
The source
Ezekiel 1:14יחזקאל א׳:י״דSefaria (opens in a new tab)13וּדְמוּת הַחַיּוֹת מַרְאֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ בֹּעֲרוֹת כְּמַרְאֵה הַלַּפִּדִים הִיא מִתְהַלֶּכֶת בֵּין הַחַיּוֹת וְנֹגַהּ לָאֵשׁ וּמִן־הָאֵשׁ יוֹצֵא בָרָק: 14וְהַחַיּוֹת רָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב כְּמַרְאֵה הַבָּזָק: 15וָאֵרֶא הַחַיּוֹת וְהִנֵּה אוֹפַן אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ אֵצֶל הַחַיּוֹת לְאַרְבַּעַת פָּנָיו:
13… creatures; and there was brightness to the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 15Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel at the bottom hard by the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 6
On the words
בספ״ד (דקע״ו סע״ב) והחיות רצוא ושוב
How it connects
The Sifra deTzniusa, which reads “the chayos ran and returned” together with “G‑d saw the light, that it was good.”our note
The source
Zohar, Sifra DiTzniuta 1:2–2:13ספר הזהר, ספרא דצניעותא א׳:ב׳-ב׳:י״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 7
On the words
וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב
How it connects
“G‑d saw the light, that it was good”; read as “good to hide away,” the source for the shov that stores the light.our note
The source
Genesis 1:4בראשית א׳:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)3וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר: 4וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹקִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ: 5וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹקִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד:
3And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 8
On the words
ישת חשך סתרו
How it connects
The words here quote Psalms 18:12; the passage is shown below.
The source
Psalms 18:12תהילים י״ח:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וַיִּרְכַּב עַל־כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף וַיֵּדֶא עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רוּחַ: 12יָשֶׁת־חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ חֶשְׁכַת־מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים: 13מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבָיו עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ:
11… a cherub, and did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind. 12He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 13At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds Hailstones and coals of fire.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים יח, יב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 9
On the words
שמור זו משנה
How it connects
The passage explains that even the mitzvos need “keeping,” and that this keeping comes through the study of the Oral Torah: the mitzvos are like a garment for the soul, and Torah is like the house that protects both.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהVaeschanan 10a (and the places cited there)
א׳) בעין ליל שמורים: קיצור. ענין לשמור את כל חוקותיו כו׳: ד אך הנה כיון שאפילו מעשה המצות צריכים לבחי׳ שמירה א״כ איך וע״י מה יהיה בחי׳ שמירה זו אך הענין כמארז״ל שמור זו משנה וכמ״ש במ״א ע״פ תשמרו להקריב לי. ולכן השמירה הוא על ידי עסק התורה שבעל פה שבה ועל ידה יוכל להיות השמירה (ועמ״ש בד״ה אחרי ה׳ אלקיכם תלכו גבי ואת מצותיו תשמרו ובקולו תשמעו ע״ש) והענין דהנה המצות הם בחי׳ לבושים לנפש דהיינו שהוא המשכת בחי׳ סוכ״ע בממכ״ע וזהו בחי׳ לבוש שהוא המקיף להגוף. אך שמירת הגוף והלבוש הוא על ידי בית וזהו בחי׳ התרוה. וכמ״ש בזהר דאורייתא היכלא עילאה דקודשא בריך הוא וגם ארז״ל מיום שחרב בית המקדש אין לו להקדוש ברוך הוא בעולמו אלא ד׳ אמות של הלכה הרי ד״א של הלכה הם נגד …
Our explanationThis supports the reading here that Torah is the vessel that preserves the light.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Noach, maamar 3לעיל בואתחנן י, אpage 10a, ¶9
אבל אהבת ותשוקת נש״י לדבקה בו ית׳ במהותו ועצמותו אשר קדשנו אשר הוא בחי׳ תענוג העליון עד אין קץ לשון באשרי כו׳. קדשנו במצותיו כו׳ שע״י המצות הם ממשיכים מענג העליון כמו טלית וכו׳.
But the love and longing of the souls of Israel to cleave to Him, blessed be He, in His essence and being, [is] “who (asher) has sanctified us”; for asher is the level of the supernal delight without end, a term [as in] “In my happiness (be’oshri),” etc. “Who has sanctified us with His commandments,” etc.: for through the mitzvos they draw down from the supernal delight, as, for example, tallis, etc.
Read it hereKehot’s note
לעיל בואתחנן י, א. וש״נ. [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 10
On the words
בקר אערך לך ואצפה
How it connects
“In the morning I will set [my prayer] before You and will watch”; the Zohar on this verse is cited for the idea of covering and guarding the light.our note
The source
Psalms 5:4תהילים ה׳:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)3הַקְשִׁיבָה לְקוֹל שַׁוְעִי מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹקָי כִּי־אֵלֶיךָ אֶתְפַּלָּל: 4ה׳ בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי בֹּקֶר אֶעֱרׇךְ־לְךָ וַאֲצַפֶּה: 5כִּי לֹא אֵל־חָפֵץ־רֶשַׁע אָתָּה לֹא יְגֻרְךָ רָע:
3Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God; For unto Thee do I pray. 4O LORD, in the morning shalt Thou hear my voice; In the morning will I order my prayer unto Thee, and will look forward. 5For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; Evil shall not sojourn with Thee.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 11
On the words
בד״ה המגביה לשבת
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to where this is explained further: Or HaTorah.
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Mikeitz, maamar 9תו״א לח, בpage 38b, ¶12
כי והוא יכוננה עליון דהיינו כי ונחה עליו רוח ה׳ כו׳. והריחו כו׳. חוטמא דפרדשקין כו׳. ולפי שהוא יכוננה עליון לפיכך יהי׳ הכל בחינת איש. איש ואיש יולד כו׳. ולכן תהי׳ רנה ושמחה אפי׳ בת ציון בחי׳ שנק׳ בת. איש מזריע תחלה יולדת בת נקבה (שבחינת בת שמקבלת מאתעדל״ע תתעלה מאד שתקבל מאתעדל״ע העליונה כי והוא יכוננה עליון כו׳ כנ״ל. וע״כ תהי׳ רני ושמחי ביחד שהן בחי׳ העלאה והמשכה בבחי׳ …
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Or HaTorahאור התורהby the Tzemach Tzedek · Balak, p. 902
The Tzemach Tzedek’s maamarim and notes on the Torah, arranged by parsha; many of them expand the maamarim of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah.
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
תו״א לח, ב. ראה אוה״ת בלק ע׳ תתקב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 12
On the words
אחור וקדם צרתני
How it connects
The words here quote Psalms 139:5; the passage is shown below.
The source
Psalms 139:5תהילים קל״ט:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4כִּי אֵין מִלָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִי הֵן ה׳ יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ: 5אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָה: 6פְּלִיאָה דַעַת מִמֶּנִּי נִשְׂגְּבָה לֹא־אוּכַל לָהּ:
4For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether. 5Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; Too high, I cannot attain unto it.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים קלט, ה.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 13
On the words
ישראל עלו במחשבה
How it connects
The words here quote Bereshit Rabbah 1:4; the passage is shown below.
The source
Bereshit Rabbah 1:4בראשית רבה א׳:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)… "ה' קנני ראשית דרכו" כסא הכבוד מנין דכתיב (תהלים צג, ב): "נכון כסאך מאז וגו'". האבות וישראל ובית המקדש ושמו של משיח, עלו במחשבה להבראות האבות מנין שנאמר (הושע ט, י): "כענבים במדבר וגו'" ישראל מנין שנאמר (תהלים עד, ב): "זכור עדתך קנית קדם" בית המקדש מנין שנאמר (ירמיה יז, יב): "כסא כבוד מרום מראשון וגו'" שמו של משיח מנין שנאמר (תהלים עב, יז): "יהי שמו לעולם וגו' [לפני שמש ינון שמו]" רבי אהבה ברבי זעירא אמר אף התשובה שנאמר (שם צ, ב) "בטרם הרים יולדו" ואותה השעה (שם, ג) "תשב אנוש עד דכא וגו'" אבל איני יודע איזה מהם קודם אם התורה קדמה לכסא הכבוד ואם כסא הכבוד קודם לתורה א"ר אבא בר כהנא התורה קדמה לכסא הכבוד שנאמר …
“In the beginning, God created” – six items preceded the creation of the world; some of them were [actually] created, and some of them God contemplated creating, [though He did not actually do so]. The Torah and the Throne of Glory were created. Torah, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “The Lord made me at the beginning of His way” (Proverbs 8:22). The Throne of Glory, from where is it derived? “Your throne stands firm from earliest time, [You are from eternity]” (Psalms 93:2). The patriarchs, Israel, the Temple, and the name of the messianic king – God contemplated creating them [before the world, but did not]. The patriarchs, from where is it derived? “Like grapes in the …
Hebrew: Wikisource Bereshit Rabbah (CC-BY-SA) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Chayei Sarah, maamar 2לעיל פ׳ צו טז, גpage 16c, ¶1
לשון אדמו״ר נ״ע בעצמו
The very words of our master, teacher and rabbi, whose soul is in Eden.
Read it hereKehot’s note
ב״ר א, ד. לעיל פ׳ צו טז, ג וש״נ.
לעיל מטות (פ״ג ג). וש״נ.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 14
On the words
ובראשית בשביל ישראל שנק׳ ראשית
How it connects
The words here quote Genesis 1:1; the passage is shown below.
The source
Genesis 1:1בראשית א׳:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ: 2וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם:
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Vayikra Rabbah 36:4ויקרא רבה ל״ו:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
מדרש. הובא ברש״י ורמב״ן עה״ת בראשית א, א. וראה ב״ר שם. ויק״ר פל״ו, ד.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 15
On the words
במי נמלך בנשמותיהם של צדיקים
How it connects
The words here quote Bereshit Rabbah 8:3–4; the passage is shown below.
The source
Bereshit Rabbah 8:3–4בראשית רבה ח׳:ג׳-ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם. במי נמלך? רבי יהושע בשם ר' לוי אמר:במלאכת השמים והארץ נמלך. משל למלך שהיו לו ב' סנקליטים ולא היה עושה דבר חוץ מדעתן. רבי שמואל בר נחמן אמר: במעשה כל יום ויום נמלך. משל למלך שהיה לו סנקתדרון ולא היה עושה דבר חוץ מדעתו. ר' אמי אמר: בלבו נמלך. משל למלך שבנה פלטין ע"י ארדכל, ראה אותה ולא ערבה לו על מי יש לו להתרעם, לא על ארדכל אתמהא?! הוי, ויתעצב אל לבו. אמר רבי אסי: משל למלך שעשה לו סחורה על ידי סרסור והפסיד, על מי יש לו להתרעם לא על הסרסור אתמהא?! הוי, ויתעצב אל לבו: אמר רבי ברכיה: בשעה שבא הקב"ה לבראת את האדם הראשון, ראה צדיקים ורשעים יוצאים ממנו. אמר: אם אני בורא אותו רשעים יוצאים ממנו, ואם …
“And God said: Let us make Man” – with whom did He consult? Rabbi Yehoshua said in the name of Rabbi Levi: He consulted with the works of the heavens and the earth. This is analogous to a king who had two members of his council and he would not do anything without their knowledge. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He consulted with what was made on each and every day. This is analogous to a king who had an adviser and he would not do anything without his knowledge. Rabbi Ami said: He consulted with His heart. This is analogous to a king who built a palace through the services of an architect, but it was not pleasing for him. At whom should he be angry? Is it not the architect? This is a …
Hebrew: Daat Bereshit Rabbah (Public Domain) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
רות רבה רפ״ב. ב״ר פ״ח [ז]. [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 16
On the words
ועמך כולם צדיקים
How it connects
The words here quote Isaiah 60:21; the passage is shown below.
The source
Isaiah 60:21ישעיהו ס׳:כ״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)20לֹא־יָבוֹא עוֹד שִׁמְשֵׁךְ וִירֵחֵךְ לֹא יֵאָסֵף כִּי ה׳ יִהְיֶה־לָּךְ לְאוֹר עוֹלָם וְשָׁלְמוּ יְמֵי אֶבְלֵךְ: 21וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר: 22הַקָּטֹן יִהְיֶה לָאֶלֶף וְהַצָּעִיר לְגוֹי עָצוּם אֲנִי Havayah בְּעִתָּהּ אֲחִישֶׁנָּה:
20… the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, And the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 21Thy people also shall be all righteous, They shall inherit the land for ever; The branch of My planting, the work of My hands, Wherein I glory. 22The smallest shall become a thousand, And the least a mighty nation; I the LORD will …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ישעי׳ ס, כא.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 17
On the words
וסוף מעשה במחשבה תחלה
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
פיוט לכה דודי.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 18
On the words
נעוץ תחלתן בסופן
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
ס״י פ״א, מ״ז.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 19
On the words
בד״ה כי תצא
How it connects
The maamar referred to in the first paragraph on “whoever kills the snake.” The passage given describes how teshuvah returns the sparks that fell through sin to their source, so that a new light is drawn down from the Infinite Light: the lowest point becomes the means of the highest revelation.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהKi Seitzei 35c
הי׳ בבחי׳ אוילים מדרך פשעם כו׳ כמ״ש במ״א ע״פ בהעלותך את הנרות ועכשיו שרואה שחטא צריך שיחזיר הניצוצים שנפלו בשבירה בחטאיו וע״ז תיקנו לומר והחזירנו בתשובה שלימה לפניך. פי׳ שיהיה בבחי׳ לפניך כמכו שהם בשרשן שיכללו ויתאחדו החיות שלהם במקור חוצבם באור א״ס ב״ה ומשם יושפע שפע חדש והארה חדשה. וזהו ענין כל הברכות שבש״ע ברוך אתה שיוברך ויומשך המשכה והארה חדשה מאור א״ס ב״ה לבחינת דעת ותשובה וסליחה כו׳. וזהו ענין שנאמר ריח ניחוחי לשון נחות דרגא ופי׳ שעל ידי שיקריב לחמי לאשי היא עולה לריח שיהיה נחת רוח לפניו ית׳ כמאן דאריח ריחא ואזי יהיה בבחינת ניחוחי דהיינו להיות נחות דרגא לתתא להשפיע שפע טובו ואורו כנ״ל. וזהו ניחוחי ניחוח שליש כאלו ממשיכין אותו כביכול בעצמו למטה להיות שורה ומתגלה בתחתונים בבחינת גילוי כו׳. (ובזה יובן ג״כ מ״ש …
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Mikeitz, maamar 6לעיל לה, גpage 35c, ¶9
הרי ממך הכל.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 20
On the words
בד״ה אלה מסעי
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther, maamar 2לעיל מסעי צב, אpage 92a, ¶14
ולבו למעלה. עיניו בחי׳ חכמה בחי׳ משה שהיה ענו שהחכמה שפלות כח מ״ה אבל לבו כ׳ ביהושפט ויגבה לבו כו׳ וכן בחי׳ סוס ב״פ ס״ג שהוא ענין גס וגם בחי׳ סוס לרוץ נעשה מבחי׳ המן כי ירידה צורך עלייה להיות בע״ת וזדונות נעשו כזכיות כו׳. אבל כתר מל׳ הוא בחי׳ בעטרה שעטרה לו אמו דווקא היינו ע״י נעשה ונשמע בבחי׳ נעשה תחלה בחי׳ עשייה שהיא מבחי׳ מקיף הסוכ״ע בשוה.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
לעיל מסעי צב, א ואילך.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 21
On the words
רוח האדם העולה למעלה
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
קהלת (ג, כא) ושם אי׳ ”בני” האדם וגו׳ ”היא” למעלה. [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 22
On the words
בד״ה האזינו
How it connects
The maamar referred to in the first paragraph for “and the spirit returns,” on the spirit of man that ascends upward.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהRe’eh 71c · not yet checked
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Yisro, maamar 7לעיל ראה עא, גpage 71c, ¶24
להבטל ולהכלל באור א״ס ב״ה ממש. וניתן להם כח זה במ״ת שהם יעלו וינשאו בחי׳ אדם ג׳ קווין למעלה מבחי׳ אדם למעלה כנ״ל.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
לעיל ראה עא, ג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 23
On the words
והקרבתם עולה
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to Numbers 28:27 for these words.
The source
Numbers 28:27במדבר כ״ח:כ״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)26וּבְיוֹם הַבִּכּוּרִים בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַה׳ בְּשָׁבֻעֹתֵיכֶם מִקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם כׇּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ: 27וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עוֹלָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַה׳ פָּרִים בְּנֵי־בָקָר שְׁנַיִם אַיִל אֶחָד שִׁבְעָה כְבָשִׂים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה: 28וּמִנְחָתָם סֹלֶת בְּלוּלָה בַשָּׁמֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים לַפָּר הָאֶחָד שְׁנֵי עֶשְׂרֹנִים לָאַיִל הָאֶחָד:
26… of weeks, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; 27but ye shall present a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD: two young bullocks, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year; 28and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for each bullock, two tenth …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
במדבר כח, כז.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 24
On the words
ברבות ר״פ תזריע
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Toldos, maamar 1לעיל צו יז, גpage 17c, ¶1
אין ערוך כלל לגבי מהותו ית׳ אנת הוא חד כו׳ לכן צריך קודם בחי׳ אלקינו שהוא בחי׳ צמצום ואח״כ ואלקי בחי׳ וא״ו המשכה שיתהווה בחי׳ אבותינו ובהתבונן כ״ז בוודאי כל איש ישראל יהיה חפצו ורצונו תמיד ליכלל בה׳ אחד ולא שירד למטה במקום חשך. אמנם זהו בחי׳ רצוא אבל צ״ל אח״כ בחי׳ שוב כדכתיב כיתרון האור מן החשך ורצונו ית׳ להיות לו דווקא דירה בתחתונים ולכן הצווי ואהבת הוא הפי׳ …
“You are wise,” etc., which has no comparison at all to His essence, may He be blessed, [for] “You are One,” etc. Therefore there must first be the level of “our G‑d,” which is the level of tzimtzum,
Read it hereKehot’s note
ראה גם לעיל צו יז, ג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 25
On the words
באדר״ז (דף רפ״ח
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to where this is explained further: Or HaTorah.
Where the note points
Or HaTorahאור התורהby the Tzemach Tzedek · Balak, p. 1051
The Tzemach Tzedek’s maamarim and notes on the Torah, arranged by parsha; many of them expand the maamarim of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah.
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה אוה״ת פ׳ בלק ע׳ א׳נא.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 26
On the words
בד״ה וקבל היהודים
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
תו״א מג״א.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 27
On the words
כי בכה ארוץ גדוד ובאלקי אדלג שור
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
תהלים (יח, ל) שם כתיב ”בך” ואם בשמ״ב (כב, ל) שם כתיב ”באלקי” חסר ”ו”. [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 28
On the words
בד״ה שרביט הזהב
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Megillas Esther, maamar 6תו״א צד, בpage 94b, ¶7
והנה כל מיני עליות והתקרבות כנס״י להקב״ה בשבת ויו״ט וכל מה שמתעלות בעילוי אחר עילוי עד רום המעלות נק׳ בשם נגיעה בראש השרביט כי שרביט הזהב הוא המשכת אור א״ס ב״ה והוא הוא חיות כל העולמות עליונים ותחתונים כמ״ש את שרביט הזהב וחיה ואינה יכולה לעלות ולראות ולקבל חיותה מכל השרביט. רק השרביט נשאר בידו ורק הארה מגיע אליה בראש השרביט והארה זו היא בחי׳ אהבה עזה כרשפי אש ושלהבת …
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
תו״א צד, ב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 29
On the words
ובד״ה שמאלו תחת לראשי
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Ki Sisa, maamar 1תו״א פו, בpage 86b, ¶17
הנותן לשכוי בינה להבחין בין יום ובין לילה כי התעוררות בחי׳ האהבה והיראה שבא לאדם אינם מצד עצמם כ״א שבא לו מלמעלה ע״י בחי׳ שכוי רוחניות שיש למעלה שהוא המבחין בין יום ובין לילה דהיינו בין חסדים לגבורות ע״י המשכת בינה עלאה וכן עד״ז כל שאר הברכות וכל סדר התפלה למתבונן בהם ומשכיל על דבר ימצא. אך כדי להמשיך לו האהבה שיבא לו מלמעלה צריך מתחלה לבטש את הגוף ולהכניעו …
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
תו״א פו, ב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 30
On the words
ובד״ה נאוו לחייך בתורים
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Lech Lecha, maamar 4לקמן שה״ש יג, אpage 13a, ¶4
שתיקה משא״כ כשאין הדבור יוצא כו׳ שהוא בחי׳ הסתלקות אז הם ממללות שהם ברעש גדול ואומרי׳ ברוך כבוד כו׳. זהו ענין החשמל שמקיף ומלביש לזו״נ מצדיהן שהוא בכדי שלא יהי׳ יניקת החיצונים. אך מתחת רגליהם הוא בחי׳ מה יפו פעמיך בנעלים בת נדיב הוא בחי׳ מלכות. נעל זה אינו לבד בשביל שלא יהי׳ יניקת החיצונים אלא הוא מפסיק שלא יהי׳ גילוי כל האור שבאצילות דאיהו וגרמוהי חד להיות כך בבריאה …
Then the angels are silent (chashos), for they are included in the self-nullification (bittul) that is drawn from the level of Chochmah (wisdom), as explained above regarding “a fence for wisdom is silence.”
Read it hereKehot’s note
לקמן שה״ש יג, א. ושם מציין לכמה מקומות.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 31
On the words
ונקרא תעלומות לב
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to where this is explained further: Or HaTorah.
Where the note points
Or HaTorahאור התורהby the Tzemach Tzedek · Bamidbar, vol. 5, p. 1683
The Tzemach Tzedek’s maamarim and notes on the Torah, arranged by parsha; many of them expand the maamarim of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah.
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה אוה״ת פ׳ במדבר כרך ה ע׳ א׳תרפג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 32
On the words
כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם
How it connects
The words here quote Isaiah 55:8; the passage is shown below.
The source
Isaiah 55:8ישעיהו נ״ה:ח׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)7יַעֲזֹב רָשָׁע דַּרְכּוֹ וְאִישׁ אָוֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָיו וְיָשֹׁב אֶל־ה׳ וִירַחֲמֵהוּ וְאֶל־אֱלֹקֵינוּ כִּי־יַרְבֶּה לִסְלוֹחַ: 8כִּי לֹא מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם וְלֹא דַרְכֵיכֶם דְּרָכָי נְאֻם ה׳ 9כִּי־גָבְהוּ שָׁמַיִם מֵאָרֶץ כֵּן גָּבְהוּ דְרָכַי מִדַּרְכֵיכֶם וּמַחְשְׁבֹתַי מִמַּחְשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם:
7… and He will have compassion upon him, And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon 8For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ישעי׳ נה, ח.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 33
On the words
יושב בסתר עליון
How it connects
The words here quote Psalms 91:1; the passage is shown below.
The source
Psalms 91:1תהילים צ״א:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1יֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן בְּצֵל שַׁ־דַּי יִתְלוֹנָן: 2אֹמַר לַה׳ מַחְסִי וּמְצוּדָתִי אֱלֹקַי אֶבְטַח־בּוֹ:
1O thou that dwellest in the covert of the Most High, And abidest in the shadow of the Almighty; 2I will say of the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים צא, א.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 34
On the words
ה׳ צלך
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to Psalms 121:5 for these words.
The source
Psalms 121:5תהילים קכ״א:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל: 5ה׳ שֹׁמְרֶךָ ה׳ צִלְּךָ עַל־יַד יְמִינֶךָ: 6יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא־יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה:
4Behold, He that keepeth Israel Doth neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper; The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים קכא, ה.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 35
On the words
בד״ה שחורה אני
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to Song of Songs 4:3 for these words.
The source
Song of Songs 4:3שיר השירים ד׳:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2שִׁנַּיִךְ כְּעֵדֶר הַקְּצוּבוֹת שֶׁעָלוּ מִן־הָרַחְצָה שֶׁכֻּלָּם מַתְאִימוֹת וְשַׁכֻּלָה אֵין בָּהֶם: 3כְּחוּט הַשָּׁנִי שִׂפְתוֹתַיִךְ וּמִדְבָּרֵךְ נָאוֶה כְּפֶלַח הָרִמּוֹן רַקָּתֵךְ מִבַּעַד לְצַמָּתֵךְ: 4כְּמִגְדַּל דָּוִיד צַוָּארֵךְ בָּנוּי לְתַלְפִּיּוֹת אֶלֶף הַמָּגֵן תָּלוּי עָלָיו כֹּל שִׁלְטֵי הַגִּבֹּרִים:
2… Which are come up from the washing; Whereof all are paired, and none faileth among them. 3Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely; Thy temples are like a pomegranate split open Behind thy veil. 4Thy neck is like the tower of David Builded with turrets, Whereon there hang a thousand …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Where the note points
Torah Ohr, Bereishis, maamar 4לקמן שה״ש ד, גpage 4c, ¶23
יותר מקטנה כו׳. ונמצא מובן עכ״פ שגוף ונפש של המלאכים הן קרובים בערך זל״ז ונתהוו כאחד ממש ממקורם היא בחי׳ מל׳ דאצי׳ שהיא אם כל חי דבי״ע שע״ז נאמר תוצא הארץ נפש חיה פי׳ ארץ העליונה שהיא המל׳ תוצא נפש כל חיה הם המלאכים שנק׳ חיות ויצאו ביחד גופם עם נשמתם כי הגוף שהוא בחי׳ צומח הוא אצל וסמוך לבחי׳ החי כנ״ל שהצומח הי׳ כלול בחי בבחי׳ עבור כו׳:
It is like the analogy of a large bonfire, which shines farther than a small one, etc. It is understood, in any case, that the body and soul of the angels are close in rank to each other and came into being truly as one from their source, which is the level of Malchus of Atzilus,
Read it hereKehot’s note
לקמן שה״ש ד, ג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 36
On the words
ולכן נקרא בחי׳ צל
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to where this is explained further: Or HaTorah.
Where the note points
Or HaTorahאור התורהby the Tzemach Tzedek · Vayeitzei, p. 215a
The Tzemach Tzedek’s maamarim and notes on the Torah, arranged by parsha; many of them expand the maamarim of Torah Ohr and Likkutei Torah.
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה אוה״ת ויצא רטו, א.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 37
On the words
ולעבדו בכל לבבכם
How it connects
The words here quote Deuteronomy 11:13; the passage is shown below.
The source
Deuteronomy 11:13דברים י״א:י״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)12אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־Havayah אֱלֹקֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד עֵינֵי Havayah אֱלֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה: 13וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת־ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם וּלְעׇבְדוֹ בְּכׇל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁכֶם: 14וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר־אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ:
12… upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. . 13And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דברים יא, יג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 38
On the words
כי אשב בחשך ה׳ אור לי
How it connects
The words here quote Micah 7:8; the passage is shown below.
The source
Micah 7:8מיכה ז׳:ח׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)7וַאֲנִי בַּה׳ אֲצַפֶּה אוֹחִילָה לֵאלֹקֵי יִשְׁעִי יִשְׁמָעֵנִי אֱלֹקָי: 8אַל־תִּשְׂמְחִי אֹיַבְתִּי לִי כִּי נָפַלְתִּי קָמְתִּי כִּי־אֵשֵׁב בַּחֹשֶׁךְ ה׳ אוֹר לִי: 9זַעַף ה׳ אֶשָּׂא כִּי חָטָאתִי לוֹ עַד אֲשֶׁר יָרִיב רִיבִי וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּטִי יוֹצִיאֵנִי לָאוֹר אֶרְאֶה בְּצִדְקָתוֹ:
7… the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. 8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; Though I am fallen, I shall arise; Though I sit in darkness, the LORD is a light unto me. 9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him; Until He …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
מיכה ז, ח.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 39
On the words
ויאמר אלקים יהי אור
How it connects
The first utterance of creation; the Alter Rebbe treats it as the model for bringing light out of darkness.our note
The source
Genesis 1:3בראשית א׳:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם: 3וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר: 4וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹקִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ:
2… face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. 3And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
בראשית א, ג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur ¶4–7
4ב והנה סדר העבודה צ״ל תחלה ראש השנה שזה היום תחלת מעשיך זכרון ליום ראשון.
2. Now, the order of service must be, first, Rosh HaShanah, of which [it is said], “This day is the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day.”
The second section returns to the question of the festival sequence. Service begins with Rosh HaShanah, the anniversary of the beginning of creation.
ובחי׳ ר״ה הוא בחי׳ שמאלו תחת לראשי1 בחי׳ שמאל דוחה2 כו׳ [כמש״ל בד״ה ושאבתם מים בששון ובד״ה האזינו השמים]
The level of Rosh HaShanah is the level of “His left hand is under my head,” the level of “the left hand pushes away,” etc. [As explained above in the maamar beginning “You shall draw water with joy,” and in the maamar beginning “Give ear, O heavens.”]
Rosh HaShanah corresponds to “His left hand is under my head,” and to the Sages’ phrase “the left hand pushes away.” The left side stands for restraint and distance, in contrast to the right, which draws close.
וכן סדר עבודת האדם תחלה היא בבחי׳ שמאל דוחה כו׳ בבחינת ריחוק דהיינו שידמה בנפשו כאלו הוא רחוק מה׳.
So too, the order of a person’s service is at first in the mode of “the left hand pushes away,” etc., in the mode of distance: that is, he should picture himself as though he were far from G‑d.
In a person’s service, too, the first stage is distance: he should sense how far he is from G‑d. This is the “moving away” of the dance, which will lead to closeness.
The maamar now applies the dance of distance and nearness to the festival cycle: Rosh HaShanah is the first step, the “left hand that pushes away,” in which a person senses his distance from G‑d.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
שמאלו תחת לראשי
How it connects
“His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me”: the left, distancing side comes first and is the base for the embrace.our note
The source
Song of Songs 2:6שיר השירים ב׳:ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)5סַמְּכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים כִּי־חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי: 6שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי: 7הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה אִם־תָּעִירוּ וְאִם־תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ:
5’Stay ye me with dainties, refresh me with apples; For I am love-sick.’ 6Let his left hand be under my head, And his right hand embrace me. 7’I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, and by the hinds of the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
שה״ש ב, ו.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 2
On the words
שמאל דוחה
How it connects
The Sages teach that one should always push away with the left hand and draw close with the right. The Alter Rebbe uses “the left hand pushes away” for the distance felt on Rosh HaShanah.our note
The source
Sotah 47a:6–7סוטה מ״ז א:ו׳-ז׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: לְעוֹלָם תְּהֵא שְׂמֹאל דּוֹחָה וְיָמִין מְקָרֶבֶת, לֹא כֶּאֱלִישָׁע שֶׁדְּחָפוֹ לְגֵחֲזִי בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדָיו, וְלֹא כִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה שֶׁדְּחָפוֹ לְיֵשׁוּ הַנּוֹצְרִי מִתַּלְמִידָיו בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדָיו. אֱלִישָׁע מַאי הִיא, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר נַעֲמָן הוֹאֵל קַח כִּכָּרָיִם״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לֹא לִבִּי הָלַךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר הָפַךְ אִישׁ מֵעַל מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ לִקְרָאתֶךָ הַעֵת לָקַחַת אֶת הַכֶּסֶף וְלָקַחַת בְּגָדִים וְזֵיתִים וּכְרָמִים וְצֹאן וּבָקָר וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחוֹת״.
Hebrew: William Davidson, Vocalized Aramaic (CC-BY-NC) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
סוטה מז, א. וש״נ.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
As our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Be in your own eyes like a wicked person” [see Sefer Shel Beinonim, chapter 13]; and in this way all the confessions and selichos were instituted before Rosh HaShanah
The Sages instruct a person to regard himself as wicked, and Tanya chapter 13 explains how even a beinoni can say this sincerely. The confessions and selichos before Rosh HaShanah were instituted in this spirit.
ובעשי״ת2 לרואת בעצמו כל הפחיתות שבו להיות שפל בעיניו ולב נשבר ונדכה על עוצם ריחוקו מה׳ ובפרט בהיות ממארי דחושבנא3 לחשוב כל הדבורים והמחשבות כו׳
and in the Ten Days of Teshuvah: to see in himself all his shortcomings, so as to be lowly in his own eyes, with a heart broken and crushed over how very far he is from G‑d. And especially when one is among “the masters of accounting,” who reckon all the words and thoughts, etc.,
In the Ten Days of Teshuvah too, a person looks honestly at his failings until he feels humble and brokenhearted over his distance from G‑d. This is especially so for “masters of accounting,” the Zohar’s term for those who take strict account of their every word and thought.
אזי יהי׳ לבו נשבר בקרבו ויהי׳ נכנע לפני המקום ובחי׳ שמאל דוחה זו להיות תחת לראשי בחינת ראש כמ״ש במ״א בד״ה שמאלו תחת לראשי בפ׳ כי תשא.
then his heart will be broken within him and he will be humbled before the Omnipresent. And this level of “the left hand pushes away” is to be “under my head,” the level of the head, as explained elsewhere in the maamar beginning “His left hand is under my head,” in Parshas Ki Sisa.
Such honest reckoning breaks the heart and brings true submission. The “left hand that pushes away” is then “under my head”: the humbling becomes the base that supports the head, the higher closeness that follows.
עד שביום כפור לפני הוי׳ תטהרו לפני הוי׳ בחי׳ פנים בפנים4 בכח התשובה מעומקא דליבא וכדכתיב ממעמקים קראתיך56 הוי׳.78
Until on Yom Kippur, “before Havayah you shall be purified”: “before Havayah” is the level of “face to face,” through the power of teshuvah from the depths of the heart, as it is written, “Out of the depths I have called You, Havayah.”
This leads to Yom Kippur, when “before Havayah you shall be purified.” “Before” (lifnei, literally “to the face of”) means “face to face,” the closeness reached through teshuvah that rises from the depths of the heart.
The paragraph describes the path from Elul through the Ten Days of Teshuvah: honest self-reckoning produces a broken heart, and this humbling, the “left hand,” becomes the base for the face-to-face closeness of Yom Kippur.
A Kehot note, citing a maamar of 5743, adds that confession is not said on Rosh HaShanah itself, since on that day one avoids mentioning undesirable matters. The distance of this stage is therefore expressed in the days surrounding Rosh HaShanah.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
הי׳ בעיניך כרשע
How it connects
The oath given to the soul before birth: “even if the whole world tells you that you are righteous, be in your own eyes like a wicked person.”our note
The source
Niddah 30b:25נדה ל׳ ב:כ״הSefaria (opens in a new tab)וּמָה הִיא הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁמַּשְׁבִּיעִין אוֹתוֹ? תְּהִי צַדִּיק וְאַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע, וַאֲפִילּוּ כׇּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ אוֹמְרִים לְךָ ״צַדִּיק אַתָּה״ — הֱיֵה בְּעֵינֶיךָ כְּרָשָׁע. וֶהֱוֵי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא טָהוֹר, וּמְשָׁרְתָיו טְהוֹרִים, וּנְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַן בְּךָ טְהוֹרָה הִיא. אִם אַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּטׇהֳרָה — מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — הֲרֵינִי נוֹטְלָהּ מִמְּךָ.
"You are righteous", let it be in their eyes as though they are wicked. And you should know that the Holy Blessed One is pure and Their servants are pure and the soul (neshama) that They gave you is pure, and if you guard its purity, good! And if not, behold They will take it from you.
Hebrew: William Davidson, Vocalized Aramaic (CC-BY-NC) · English: Sefaria Community Translation (CC0) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
נדה ל, ב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 2
On the words
הוידוים והסליחות קודם ר״ה ובעשי״ת
How it connects
The note explains why confession is said before Rosh HaShanah and in the Ten Days but not on Rosh HaShanah itself: on Rosh HaShanah one must take care not to mention undesirable matters and descriptions.our note
Where the note points
Sefer HaMaamarim Melukat, maamarim of the Rebbeספר המאמרים מלוקטvol. 1, p. 434: maamar beginning “Adon Olam,” 5743, section 8 (and note 50 there)
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)The Rebbe’s maamar “אדון עולם” (5743)ד״ה אדון עולם תשמ״גA maamar of the Rebbe, 5743
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
אבל אין אומרים בר״ה ”שבר״ה צריך להיזהר מלהזכיר ענינים ותוארים בלתי רצויים שלכן אין אומרים וידוי כו׳ בר״ה” — ד״ה אדון עולם תשמ״ג סעי׳ ח (סה״מ מלוקט ח״א ע׳ תלד). וראה שם בהערה 50.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 3
On the words
ממארי דחושבנא
How it connects
The Zohar’s phrase “masters of accounting,” those who take a precise account of their deeds.our note
The source
Zohar III, 178aזח״ג קעח, אSefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
זח״ג קעח, א.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 4
On the words
פנים בפנים
How it connects
“Face to face G‑d spoke with you”: the closeness reached on Yom Kippur.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 5:4דברים ה׳:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)3לֹא אֶת־אֲבֹתֵינוּ כָּרַת ה׳ אֶת־הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת כִּי אִתָּנוּ אֲנַחְנוּ אֵלֶּה פֹה הַיּוֹם כֻּלָּנוּ חַיִּים: 4פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר ה׳ עִמָּכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ: 5אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין־ה׳ וּבֵינֵיכֶם בָּעֵת הַהִוא לְהַגִּיד לָכֶם אֶת־דְּבַר ה׳ כִּי יְרֵאתֶם מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא־עֲלִיתֶם בָּהָר לֵאמֹר:
3… our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. 4The LORD spoke with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire— 5I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare unto you the word …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דברים ה, ד.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 5
On the words
ממעמקים קראתיך הוי׳
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
תילים (רס״י קל). [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 6
On the words
ממעמקים קראתיך הוי׳
How it connects
“Out of the depths I have called You”: teshuvah from the depths of the heart.our note
The source
Psalms 130:1תהילים ק״ל:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ ה׳ 2אֲדֹ־נָי שִׁמְעָה בְקוֹלִי תִּהְיֶינָה אׇזְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁבוֹת לְקוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָי:
1A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths have I called Thee, O LORD. 2Lord, hearken unto my voice; let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 7
On the words
לפני ה׳ תטהרו
How it connects
The verse of Yom Kippur: “before G‑d you shall be purified.” The Alter Rebbe reads “before” as face to face.our note
The source
Leviticus 16:30ויקרא ט״ז:ל׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)29וְהָיְתָה לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ תְּעַנּוּ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם וְכׇל־מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ הָאֶזְרָח וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם: 30כִּי־בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי ה׳ תִּטְהָרוּ: 31שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן הִיא לָכֶם וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָם:
29… and shall do no manner of work, the home-born, or the stranger that sojourneth among you. 30For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the LORD. 31It is a sabbath of solemn rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; it …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ויקרא טז, ל.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 8
How it connects
“A broken and crushed heart, O G‑d, You will not despise”: the brokenness that the self-reckoning brings.our note
The source
Psalms 51:19תהילים נ״א:י״טSefaria (opens in a new tab)18כִּי לֹא־תַחְפֹּץ זֶבַח וְאֶתֵּנָה עוֹלָה לֹא תִרְצֶה: 19זִבְחֵי אֱלֹקִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה לֵב־נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹקִים לֹא תִבְזֶה: 20הֵיטִיבָה בִרְצוֹנְךָ אֶת־צִיּוֹן תִּבְנֶה חוֹמוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם:
18For Thou delightest not in sacrifice, else would I give it; Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. 19The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. 20Do good in Thy favour unto Zion; build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
6וכתיב בקשו פני את פניך1 הוי׳ אבקש בחי׳ פנימית הלב דהיינו שיהיה מגמתו לה׳ ותורתו בכל לב ונפש ולהיות עסקיו בעוה״ז דרך קרירות כו׳.
And it is written, “Seek My face; Your face, Havayah, I will seek”: the level of the inner dimension of the heart, that is, that his aim be toward G‑d and His Torah with all his heart and soul, and that his involvement in the affairs of this world be in a manner of coolness, etc.
“Seek My face” is read as a call to the inner heart: a person’s real aim and passion should be G‑d and His Torah, while his involvement in worldly affairs is “cool,” done without his inner self being invested in it.
כי במקום שלבו של אדם תקועה בכל לב ונפש נקרא בחי׳ פנים וזהו ענין פנים בפנים שיהיה כל פנימיות לבו ונפשו רק לפנימית רצונו ית׳.
For the place in which a person’s heart is fixed with all his heart and soul is called the level of “face.” And this is the meaning of “face to face”: that the whole inner dimension of his heart and soul be directed only to the inner dimension of His will, may He be blessed.
Panim, “face,” is related to penimiyus, “inwardness”: wherever a person’s heart is truly fixed is his “face.” “Face to face” with G‑d means that one’s innermost self is turned toward G‑d’s innermost will.
מה שאין כן על ההיפ וך נאמר כי פנו אלי עורף2 שפונים לה׳ ולמצותיו בבחי׳ קרירות והפנימיות שלהם בלב ונפש היא לבחי׳ אחוריים
Of the opposite, however, it is said, “For they have turned the back of the neck to Me”: they turn to G‑d and to His mitzvos with coolness, while their inwardness, in heart and soul, is directed to the level of “the back,”
The reverse is described in Jeremiah as turning “the back of the neck” to G‑d: such people serve G‑d and keep mitzvos coolly, while their inner passion is given to “the back,” the external side of existence.
שהם ענינים גשמיים וכו׳ שהם רחוקים מאור פניו יל׳ ולפי שלא שייך לומר נגד השי״ת לשון ריחוק מקום
which are physical matters, etc., that are far from the light of His face, may He be blessed. And since, with regard to G‑d, may He be blessed, it is not applicable to speak in terms of distance in space —
“The back” means physical concerns, which are far from the light of G‑d’s face. Yet one cannot speak of real distance from G‑d in a spatial sense,
כי הלא מלא כל הארץ כבודו3 נאמר בלשון עורף שהוא עד״מ כאדם העומד אצל חבירו אלא שנהפך ערפו אליו
for is it not [written], “The whole earth is full of His glory”? — it is said in terms of “the back of the neck,” which is, by way of analogy, like a person standing right next to his fellow, but with the back of his neck turned toward him;
since His glory fills the whole earth and He is equally present everywhere. So the verse uses the image of a person standing right next to someone but with his back turned to him.
שהרי זה הוא בתכלית הריחוק [וכמ״ש מזה לעיל בד״ה שובה ישראל] וביום כפור מכל חטאתיכם לפני4 הוי׳ תטהרו לפי שאז מתגלה בחינות י״ג מדה״ר.
for this is the utmost distance. [As explained on this above in the maamar beginning “Return, O Israel.”] And on Yom Kippur, “from all your sins, before Havayah you shall be purified,” because then the levels of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are revealed.
Turning away while present is the greatest distance of all, because it is distance of the inner self. On Yom Kippur this is undone and a person is purified “before G‑d,” because the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, the highest expression of divine compassion, are revealed then.
The paragraph defines “face” as where a person’s inner heart is invested and “back of the neck” as inner attachment to the physical, the true meaning of distance from an omnipresent G‑d. On Yom Kippur the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy restores the face-to-face relationship.
The distinction between the inner and outer investment of the heart continues the first paragraph’s two chambers: the right, inner chamber turns to G‑d, and the left, outer one to physical things.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
בקשו פני את פניך
How it connects
“Seek My face; Your face, G‑d, I will seek”: the Alter Rebbe reads “face” as the inner dimension of the heart.our note
The source
Psalms 27:8תהילים כ״ז:ח׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)7שְׁמַע־ה׳ קוֹלִי אֶקְרָא וְחׇנֵּנִי וַעֲנֵנִי: 8לְךָ אָמַר לִבִּי בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָי אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ ה׳ אֲבַקֵּשׁ: 9אַל־תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי אַל תַּט־בְּאַף עַבְדֶּךָ עֶזְרָתִי הָיִיתָ אַל־תִּטְּשֵׁנִי וְאַל־תַּעַזְבֵנִי אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׁעִי:
7Hear, O LORD, when I call with my voice, And be gracious unto me, and answer me. 8In Thy behalf my heart hath said: ‘Seek ye My face'; Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9Hide not Thy face far from me; Put not Thy servant away in anger; Thou hast …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים כז, ח.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 2
On the words
כי פנו אלי עורף
How it connects
“They have turned their back to Me and not their face”: the image of inner turning away from G‑d.our note
The source
Jeremiah 2:27ירמיהו ב׳:כ״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)26כְּבֹשֶׁת גַּנָּב כִּי יִמָּצֵא כֵּן הֹבִישׁוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵמָּה מַלְכֵיהֶם שָׂרֵיהֶם וְכֹהֲנֵיהֶם וּנְבִיאֵיהֶם: 27אֹמְרִים לָעֵץ אָבִי אַתָּה וְלָאֶבֶן אַתְּ יְלִדְתָּנוּ כִּי־פָנוּ אֵלַי עֹרֶף וְלֹא פָנִים וּבְעֵת רָעָתָם יֹאמְרוּ קוּמָה וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ: 28וְאַיֵּה אֱלֹקֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ לָּךְ יָקוּמוּ אִם־יוֹשִׁיעוּךָ בְּעֵת רָעָתֶךָ כִּי מִסְפַּר עָרֶיךָ הָיוּ אֱלֹקֶיךָ יְהוּדָה:
26… the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets; 27Who say to a stock: ‘Thou art my father’, and to a stone: ‘Thou hast brought us forth’, for they have turned their back unto Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say: ‘Arise, and save us.’ 28But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ירמי׳ ב, כז.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 3
On the words
מלא כל הארץ כבודו
How it connects
“The whole earth is full of His glory”: since G‑d is everywhere, distance from Him cannot be spatial.our note
The source
Isaiah 6:3ישעיהו ו׳:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2שְׂרָפִים עֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם לְאֶחָד בִּשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה פָנָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה רַגְלָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְעוֹפֵף: 3וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ ה׳ צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כׇל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ: 4וַיָּנֻעוּ אַמּוֹת הַסִּפִּים מִקּוֹל הַקּוֹרֵא וְהַבַּיִת יִמָּלֵא עָשָׁן:
2… covered his face and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one called unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory. 4And the posts of the door were moved at the voice of them that called, and …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ישעי׳ ו, ג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 4
On the words
מכל חטאתיכם לפני הוי׳ תטהרו
How it connects
The Yom Kippur verse promising purification from all sins before G‑d.our note
The source
Leviticus 16:30ויקרא ט״ז:ל׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)29וְהָיְתָה לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ תְּעַנּוּ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם וְכׇל־מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ הָאֶזְרָח וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם: 30כִּי־בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי ה׳ תִּטְהָרוּ: 31שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן הִיא לָכֶם וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָם:
29… and shall do no manner of work, the home-born, or the stranger that sojourneth among you. 30For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the LORD. 31It is a sabbath of solemn rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; it …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
7ולכן כתיב אם יהיו חטאיכם כשנים1 כשלג ילבינו ואם יאדימו כתולע כצמר יהיו [ועמ״ש מזה בד״ה האזינו השמים]
Therefore it is written, “If your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; if they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” [See what is explained on this in the maamar beginning “Give ear, O heavens.”]
Isaiah promises that sins red as scarlet will become white as snow and wool. The Alter Rebbe explains why these two images are chosen.
כי שלג וצמר הם י״ג מדה״ר על שם הפסוק לבושי׳ כתלג חיור2 ושער רישי׳ כמער נקא ולפיכך מתעלי׳ כל ישראל להיות פנים בפנים בבחי׳ פנימיות נקודת הלב.
For snow and wool are the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, after the verse, “His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like clean wool.” Therefore all Israel are raised up to be face to face, at the level of the inner dimension of the point of the heart.
Daniel’s vision describes the Ancient of Days with garments white as snow and hair like clean wool; the Alter Rebbe identifies these images with the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. Their revelation on Yom Kippur lifts every Jew to “face to face,” revealing the inner point of the heart.
ולכן יום כפור אין בו לא אכילה ולא שתיה שבכל השנה אדם ניזון מאכילה ושתיה גשמי׳ שנעשה מהם דם שהוא הנפש חיצוניות הלב.
Therefore Yom Kippur has neither eating nor drinking. For throughout the year a person is nourished by physical eating and drinking, from which blood is made, which is the nefesh — the outer dimension of the heart.
This is why there is no eating or drinking on Yom Kippur. Ordinary food becomes blood, the nefesh, which is connected with the outer dimension of the heart.
משא״כ ביוכ״פ מתגלה בחי׳ פנימיות הלב שאין ניזון מאכילה ושתיה גשמיות [וע׳ בפע״ח שער יוהכ״פ (פ״א ורפ״ג)
On Yom Kippur, however, the level of the inner dimension of the heart is revealed, which is not nourished by physical eating and drinking. [See Pri Etz Chaim, Shaar Yom HaKippurim (chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 3);
On Yom Kippur the inner dimension of the heart is revealed, and it does not live from physical food. The bracket refers to the Arizal’s teachings on Yom Kippur in Pri Etz Chaim.
וע׳ בפי׳ הרמ״ז בזהר פ׳ פנחס (דרמ״א ע״ב) גבי עלמא דאתי לית ביה אכילה ושתיה והא כתיב אכלתי יערי3 כו׳ ע״ש והיינו
and see the commentary of the Ramaz on the Zohar, Parshas Pinchas (folio 241b), regarding “In the World to Come there is no eating and drinking” — yet it is written, “I have eaten my honeycomb,” etc.; see there. And this is
The Ramaz (Rabbi Moshe Zacuto) addresses a question on the Zohar: if there is no eating or drinking in the World to Come, what is meant by “I have eaten my honeycomb”? The implication is a different, spiritual kind of nourishment.
כי פנימית הלב נלקח מבחי׳ קדם צרתני קדם למע״ב שבחי׳ זו אינה מקבל מדצ״ח כמו בחינת אחור למע״ב שמקבל מהבירורים כו׳ אלא כי על כל מוצא4 כו׳]:
because the inner dimension of the heart is taken from the level of “before You formed me,” before the work of creation; this level does not receive from the inanimate, vegetative, animal and speaking, as does the level of “behind” in the work of creation, which receives from the refinements, etc.; rather, “by everything that comes forth,” etc.]
The inner heart comes from the soul’s kedem, which preceded creation, and so it does not draw life from the mineral, plant, animal and human realms, as the “behind” aspect does through refining and eating them. It lives directly “by everything that comes forth from the mouth of G‑d,” by the divine word itself.
Yom Kippur reveals the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, symbolized by snow and wool, and with them the inner point of every Jew’s heart. Because that inner heart is rooted before creation and does not live from physical food, the day has no eating or drinking.
The link between blood and nefesh (“for the blood is the nefesh”) grounds the idea that food sustains only the outer heart. The inner heart, the soul’s kedem, is nourished directly by the divine word, as in Deuteronomy 8:3.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
אם יהיו חטאיכם כשנים
How it connects
The promise that scarlet sins will become white as snow and wool; the Alter Rebbe links snow and wool to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.our note
The source
Isaiah 1:18ישעיהו א׳:י״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)17לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה: 18לְכוּ־נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה יֹאמַר ה׳ אִם־יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ אִם־יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ: 19אִם־תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵלוּ:
17Learn to do well; Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18Come now, and let us reason together, Saith the LORD; Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19If ye be willing and obedient, Ye shall eat the good of the land;
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ישעי׳ א, יח.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 2
On the words
לבושי׳ כתלג חיור
How it connects
Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days, whose garment is white as snow and hair like clean wool, the source for linking snow and wool to the highest mercy.our note
The source
Daniel 7:9דניאל ז׳:ט׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)8… סִלְקָת בֵּינֵיהֵן וּתְלָת מִן־קַרְנַיָּא קַדְמָיָתָא אֶתְעֲקַרָה מִן־[קֳדָמַהּ] (קדמיה) וַאֲלוּ עַיְנִין כְּעַיְנֵי אֲנָשָׁא בְּקַרְנָא־דָא וּפֻם מְמַלִּל רַבְרְבָן: 9חָזֵה הֲוֵית עַד דִּי כׇרְסָוָן רְמִיו וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יְתִב לְבוּשֵׁהּ כִּתְלַג חִוָּר וּשְׂעַר רֵאשֵׁהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא כׇּרְסְיֵהּ שְׁבִבִין דִּי־נוּר גַּלְגִּלּוֹהִי נוּר דָּלִק: 10נְהַר דִּי־נוּר נָגֵד וְנָפֵק מִן־קֳדָמוֹהִי אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּהּ וְרִבּוֹ רִבְבָן קָדָמוֹהִי יְקוּמוּן דִּינָא יְתִב וְסִפְרִין פְּתִיחוּ:
8… this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9I beheld Till thrones were placed, And one that was ancient of days did sit: His raiment was as white snow, And the hair of his head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. 10A fiery stream issued And came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, And …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דניאל ז, ט.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 3
How it connects
“I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey”: the verse that raises the question of what “eating” means in the spiritual realm.our note
The source
Song of Songs 5:1שיר השירים ה׳:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי עִם־בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם־דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם־חֲלָבִי אִכְלוּ רֵעִים שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דּוֹדִים: 2אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר קוֹל דּוֹדִי דוֹפֵק פִּתְחִי־לִי אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי נִמְלָא־טָל קְוֻצּוֹתַי רְסִיסֵי לָיְלָה:
1I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. 2I sleep, but my heart waketh; Hark! my beloved knocketh: ‘Open to me, my sister, my …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 4
On the words
כי על כל מוצא
How it connects
“Man lives by everything that comes forth from the mouth of G‑d”: the inner heart lives directly from the divine word, not from physical food.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 8:3דברים ח׳:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2… הוֹלִיכְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ לְנַסֹּתְךָ לָדַעַת אֶת־אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבְךָ הֲתִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתָו אִם־לֹא: 3וַיְעַנְּךָ וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ וַיַּאֲכִלְךָ אֶת־הַמָּן אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַעְתָּ וְלֹא יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ לְמַעַן הוֹדִיעֲךָ כִּי לֹא עַל־הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם כִּי עַל־כׇּל־מוֹצָא פִי־ה׳ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם: 4שִׂמְלָתְךָ לֹא בָלְתָה מֵעָלֶיךָ וְרַגְלְךָ לֹא בָצֵקָה זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה:
2… thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. 3And He afflicted thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. 4Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דברים ח, ג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
Sukkos as ice, Shemini Atzeres as flowing water ¶8
8ג וע״י בחינת תשובה עילאה זו שמעומקא דליבא מתגלה בסוכות בחינת וימינו תחבקני12 שימין עליון הוא בחינת אהבה רבה שלמעלה מן הטעם ודעת מתגלה למטה בגילוי הלב שלא יהיה בבחי׳ נפרד ח״ו ממנו ית׳
3. Through this level of higher teshuvah, which is from the depths of the heart, there is revealed on Sukkos the level of “and His right hand embraces me”: the supernal right, which is the level of “great love” that is above reason and knowledge, is revealed below in the revelation of the heart, so that one should not be in a state of separateness, G‑d forbid, from Him, may He be blessed.
The third section: the “higher teshuvah” of Yom Kippur, from the depths of the heart, leads to Sukkos, when G‑d’s “right hand embraces” us. The right hand is “great love,” a divine love beyond reason, which is now revealed in the heart so that a person does not feel separate from G‑d.
וזהו תחבקני כמשל המחבק את חבירו שלא ילך ממנו והיינו ע״י הסוכה בחינת צל שהוא בחינת ה׳ צלך3 וגו׳ (ועמ״ש בד״ה האזינו השמים בפי׳ וסוכה תהיה לצל יומם4 כו׳)
This is “embraces me,” like the analogy of one who embraces his fellow so that he will not go away from him. This comes through the sukkah, the level of “shade,” which is the level of “G‑d is your shade,” etc. (See what is explained in the maamar beginning “Give ear, O heavens,” on the meaning of “And there shall be a sukkah for shade by day,” etc.)
An embrace holds someone close so that he does not leave. The sukkah, as “shade,” is the means of this embrace: the hidden, encompassing presence of G‑d described in the first paragraph now surrounds a person.
וע״י נענועי הלולב כי ד׳ מינים שבלולב הם רומזים בשם הוי״ה ומנענעים ומביאים ללב שכל הבאה הוא ללב כדי להיות מאיר ומתגלה בלבו של אדם.
And through the waving of the lulav: for the four kinds in the lulav allude to the Name Havayah, and one waves them and brings them to the heart, for every bringing-in is to the heart, so that [the Name] may shine and be revealed in a person’s heart.
The four kinds of the lulav correspond to the four letters of the Name Havayah. Waving them and bringing them toward the heart draws that Name into the heart, so that it shines there openly.
וזהו שמנענעין לשית סטרין מעלה ומטה ולארבע רוחות כי הוא ית׳ אחד בשמים ובארץ וד׳ רוחות ולפי שהוא מקומו של עולם כמ״ש הנה מקום אתי5 וגו׳ כמ״ש במ״א.
This is why one waves in six directions, up and down and to the four directions, for He, may He be blessed, is One in the heavens and on earth and in the four directions; and because He is the place of the world, as it is written, “Behold, there is a place with Me,” etc., as explained elsewhere.
The six directions of the waving express that G‑d is One in every direction, above, below and on all sides. He is “the place of the world”: the world exists within Him, rather than He within it.
וצריך להמשיך ולהכניס בחינת אחד בלב שיהיה ה׳ אחד שורה ומתגלה בו ולמהוי אחד באחד כו׳
And one must draw down and bring the level of “One” into the heart, so that the One G‑d rests and is revealed in it, and “to be one with the One,” etc.
The purpose is to bring this oneness into the heart, so that the One G‑d rests in it and the person becomes “one with the One.”
(See what is explained on this in the maamar beginning “On the eighth day, an assembly,” in the first discourse.) Now, of this it is said, “He casts forth His ice like morsels.” For
The Alter Rebbe now reads the sequence of verses in Psalm 147 as a map of the festivals, beginning with “He casts forth His ice like morsels.”
הנה תחלה נאמר הנותן שלג כצמר8 כו׳ שהוא בחי׳ התגלות י״ג מדות הרחמים לבושיה כתלג חיור9 כו המתגלים ביוהכ״פ.
first it is said, “He gives snow like wool,” etc., which is the level of the revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, “His garment white as snow,” etc., which are revealed on Yom Kippur.
Before the ice comes “He gives snow like wool”: snow and wool, as explained earlier, are the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy revealed on Yom Kippur.
שעי״ז נמשך ומתגלה בסוכות בחינת וימינו תחבקני ומזה נמשך בחי׳ משליך קרחו כפתים כי הנה בחינת אהבה רבה זו וחסד עליון זה הנמשל למים נגלד ונעשה קרח.
Through this there is drawn and revealed on Sukkos the level of “and His right hand embraces me,” and from this is drawn the level of “He casts forth His ice like morsels.” For this level of great love and supernal Chesed, which is likened to water, congeals and becomes ice.
That revelation leads to the embrace of Sukkos, and from it comes the “ice.” Supernal Chesed, the great love, is like water, and on Sukkos this water “freezes” into ice.
כלומר שנתגשם וירד בסתר המדרגות מריש כל דרגין אחר דלית מחשבה תפיסא ביה להתלבש להיות נתפס בהשגת בני אדם לכל חד לפום שיעורי׳ דילי׳.
That is to say, it became corporealized and descended through the concealment of the levels, from “the head of all levels,” a place that “no thought can grasp,” to clothe itself so as to be grasped in the comprehension of human beings, “each one according to his own measure.”
Freezing means the love takes on a more solid, graspable form. It descends from the highest level, beyond any thought, and clothes itself so that each person can grasp it according to his capacity.
וזהו משליך בבחי׳ השלכה מדרגא לדרגא כפתים בחי׳ פירוד והתחלקות לרבבות מדרגות להיות נמשך גם למטה בחי׳ אחד למען דעת10 כל עמי הארץ כו׳
This is “He casts forth”: in the manner of being cast from level to level; “like morsels”: the level of separation and division into myriads of levels, so that the level of “One” may be drawn down below as well, “that all the peoples of the earth may know,” etc.
“Casts forth” describes the step-by-step descent from level to level, and “morsels” the breaking up into countless levels. All this is so that G‑d’s oneness can reach even the lowest places, “that all the peoples of the earth may know.”
(וזהו כענין מ״ש ודמות על ראשי החיה רקיע כעין הקרח הנורא11. ומבואר במ״א בשם הרב הקדוש רבי אברהם בן הרב המגיד נ״ע כי קרח אותיות חרק וחרק הוא בחי׳ נצח ענף החכמה.
(This is like what is written, “And over the heads of the chayah there was the likeness of a firmament, like the color of the awesome ice.” And it is explained elsewhere in the name of the holy Rav, Rabbi Avraham, son of the Rav the Maggid, of blessed memory, that kerach (ice) has the letters of chirik, and chirik is the level of Netzach, the branch of Chochmah.
A long parenthesis (to part 24) develops the image of ice from Ezekiel’s vision of a “firmament like ice” over the heads of the chayos. The Alter Rebbe cites Rabbi Avraham, son of the Maggid of Mezritch: the letters of kerach (ice) can be rearranged as chirik, the vowel associated with Netzach, an offshoot of Chochmah.
ומזה נמשך הפרסא המפסקת בין אצילות לבריאה שהיא בחי׳ רקיע שעל ראשי החיות כעין הקרח כו׳.
From this comes the parsa, the partition between Atzilus, the world still one with G‑d, and Beriah, the first world of separate existence. The “ice-like firmament” over the chayos is this partition.
והטעם שנק׳ בשם קרח הוא כי ענין הפרסא הוא עד״מ כמו הרב שרוצה להסביר שכל גדול לתלמידו שאין התלמיד יכול לקבלו וצריך להמשילו בדרך משל וחידה וכמו משלי שלמה כו׳.
The reason it is called by the name “ice” is that the matter of the parsa is, by way of analogy, like a teacher who wants to explain a great concept to his student, which the student cannot receive, so he must convey it by way of parable and riddle, like the Proverbs of Solomon, etc.
Why is the partition called “ice”? A teacher whose idea is too great for his student conveys it through a parable or riddle, as Solomon did in Proverbs.
ועד״ז כדי שיומשך מבחי׳ חכמה עילאה חכים ולא בחכמה ידיעא בבחי׳ חב״ד שבעולם הבריאה ואין בנבראים יכולת לקבל הארת החכמה כמו שהיא באצילות
In the same way, in order that there be drawn from the level of supernal Chochmah — “He is wise, but not with a known wisdom” — to the level of Chochmah, Binah and Daas of the World of Beriah, since created beings have no capacity to receive the radiance of Chochmah as it is in Atzilus,
Likewise, G‑d’s supernal wisdom, which is beyond any known wisdom, must reach the intellect of the World of Beriah, but created beings cannot receive wisdom as it is in Atzilus.
לכן נעשה בחי׳ פרסא שעל ידה נמשך החכמה בנבראים כמו עד״מ השכל שמשיג התלמיד דרך לבוש המשל וכענין וידבר שלשת אלפים משל12 כו׳ וכמ״ש מזה בד״ה פתח אליהו בפ׳ וירא ובד״ה והבדילה הפרוכת
therefore the level of a parsa is made, through which Chochmah is drawn into created beings, as, by way of analogy, the concept that the student grasps through the garment of the parable; and like the matter of “And he spoke three thousand parables,” etc. And as explained on this in the maamar beginning “Eliyahu opened,” in Parshas Vayeira, and in the maamar beginning “And the curtain shall divide.”
So a partition is made that “clothes” the wisdom, as a parable clothes an idea, allowing created beings to grasp it. Solomon’s three thousand parables illustrate this, and the Alter Rebbe refers to two maamarim in Torah Ohr where it is explained.
וזהו שנקראת רקיע כעין הקרח כמו עד״מ הקרח שהוא עצמו מים אלא שנגלדו ונעשו קרח כך הוא ענין התלבשות השכל במשל שבו מלובש השכל עצמו ממש אלא שמלובש במשל גשמי והוא
This is why it is called “a firmament like the color of ice.” Just as, by way of analogy, ice is itself water, only it has congealed and become ice, so it is with the clothing of a concept in a parable: the very concept itself is clothed in it, only it is clothed in a physical parable, and this is
Ice is simply water in solid form. In the same way, the idea itself is present inside the parable, only in a more concrete form.
כמו גשמיות הקרח לגבי המים וזהו ענין רקיע כעין הקרח שעל ראשי החיות שבמרכבה שעי״ז נמשך להם השגה מלמעלה והיינו על ידי שנמשך מתחלה להיות בבחינת קרח דוקא.
like the physicality of ice relative to water. This is the matter of “a firmament like the color of ice” over the heads of the chayos of the Chariot: through it comprehension is drawn to them from above, that is, through its first being drawn specifically in the form of ice.
So the “firmament like ice” over the chayos lets understanding reach them from above, precisely because it first took on this solid, ice-like form.
ועי״ז נמשך בהם ג״כ בחי׳ הביטול וזהו ענין קרח אותיות חרק שהוא בחינת ביטול ועמ״ש מזה סד״ה וכל העם רואים את הקולות.
Through this the level of self-nullification (bittul) is also drawn into them. This is the matter of kerach having the letters of chirik, which is the level of bittul. See what is explained on this at the end of the maamar beginning “And all the people saw the sounds.”
The partition also brings bittul, self-nullification, to the chayos. This is the meaning of chirik: a single dot, the smallest of vowels, stands for self-nullification.
והנה מבואר לקמן בסמוך דבחי׳ קרח זהו בחי׳ שוב שאחר הרצוא וענין דמיון בחי׳ זו לבחי׳ קרח היינו
Now, it is explained shortly below that the level of ice is the level of shov that follows the ratzo. And the matter of this level’s resemblance to ice is
The Alter Rebbe now connects the image to ratzo and shov: the “ice” is the shov that follows the ratzo, the return from rapture to ordinary life.
כי בחי׳ שוב הוא לעשות לו ית׳ דירה בתחתונים על ידי מעשה המצות ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם אשר המצות נקראים רמ״ח אברים דמלכא דכמו שמלובש חיות הנפש באברין עד״מ כך מלובש אור א״ס ב״ה במעשה המצות
that the level of shov is to make for Him, may He be blessed, a dwelling place among the lower realms through the performance of the mitzvos and the study of Torah, which is equal to them all. For the mitzvos are called “the 248 limbs of the King”: just as, by way of analogy, the life-force of the soul is clothed in the limbs, so the Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof), blessed be He, is clothed in the performance of the mitzvos.
Shov is the work of making G‑d a “dwelling in the lower realms” through mitzvos and Torah study. The mitzvos are called “the King’s 248 limbs”: as a soul lives within the body’s limbs, the Infinite Light clothes itself in the mitzvos.
היינו בתפילין נמשך ומלובש בחי׳ ד׳ מוחין שהם בחי׳ חכמה ובינה וחסד וגבורה של הקב״ה כו׳ ובצדקה וגמ״ח נמשך ומלובש בחי׳ חסד דרועא ימינא כו׳ וכמ״ש מזה בד״ה משה ידבר.
That is: in tefillin there is drawn and clothed the level of the four mochin, which are the levels of Chochmah and Binah, Chesed and Gevurah of the Holy One, blessed be He, etc.; and in tzedakah and acts of kindness there is drawn and clothed the level of Chesed, “the right arm,” etc. And as explained on this in the maamar beginning “Moshe would speak.”
For example, tefillin draw down divine “mind,” Chochmah, Binah, Chesed and Gevurah, corresponding to the four sections in the tefillin, while charity and kindness draw down Chesed, G‑d’s “right arm.”
והנה התלבשות זו דמוחין עליונים במעשה המצות גשמיים נמשל לבחי׳ קרח שהוא עד״מ התלבשות השכל במשל גשמי כנ״ל וכך הוא ענין התלבשות אורות העליונים במעשה המצות בגשמיות
Now, this clothing of the supernal mochin in the physical performance of the mitzvos is likened to the level of ice, which is, by way of analogy, the clothing of a concept in a physical parable, as said above; and so it is with the clothing of the supernal lights in the performance of the mitzvos in physicality.
The clothing of these supernal lights in concrete physical mitzvos is like an idea clothed in a parable: this is the “ice.”
וכן בעבודת ה׳ מתלבשים הדחילו ורחימו שבתפלה במעשה המצות ודרך כלל האהבה היא שרש לרמ״ח מ״ע והיראה היא שרש שס״ה ל״ת וזהו ג״כ בחי׳ משליך קרחו כו׳
Likewise, in the service of G‑d, the awe and love of prayer clothe themselves in the performance of the mitzvos; and in general, love is the root of the 248 positive commandments and awe is the root of the 365 prohibitions. This too is the level of “He casts forth His ice,” etc.
In a person’s own service, the love and awe felt in prayer are carried into the practical mitzvos: love is the root of the 248 positive commandments and awe of the 365 prohibitions. This carrying of feeling into action is also “He casts forth His ice.”
ועמ״ש ע״פ ואברהם זקן בא בימים13 בפרשה חיי שרה בענין ויבא משה בתוך הענן14 כו׳ כמ״כ תורה ומצות כו׳ ע״ש. וענין כפתים י״ל שפירור והתחלקות זו נמשך ע״י ה״ג וזהו ענין החותם ועמ״ש בפ׳ ראה בד״ה וברכך כו׳ ע״ש).
See what is explained on the verse “And Avraham was old, advanced in days,” in Parshas Chayei Sarah, on the matter of “And Moshe came into the midst of the cloud,” etc.: so too Torah and mitzvos, etc.; see there. And the matter of “like morsels” may be explained: this crumbling and division is drawn through the five Gevuros, and this is the matter of the seal. See what is explained in Parshas Re’eh, in the maamar beginning “And He will bless you,” etc.; see there.)
The Alter Rebbe refers to a maamar on Moshe entering the cloud, where Torah and mitzvos are described as a clothing in the same way. “Morsels,” the breaking into many parts, comes from the five Gevuros, the powers of limitation, which he links to the image of a seal.
אך הנה כתיב לפני קרתו מי יעמוד כי המשכת גילוי זה למטה בבחי׳ קרתו הוא בחי׳ קרירות להיות נמשך ממנה בחי׳ שוב היפך בחי׳ רצוא
However, it is written, “Before His cold, who can stand?” For the drawing down of this revelation below, in the level of “His cold,” is a level of coolness, so that from it is drawn the level of shov, the opposite of the level of ratzo,
But the verse continues, “Before His cold, who can stand?” The coldness of the ice is the shov, the opposite of the fiery ratzo,
שהוא בחינת רשפי אש שלהבת העולה מאליה ולא כל אדם זוכה לעמוד בבחי׳ שוב לאחד שגם בבחי׳ שוב יהיה דבוק בה׳ כו׳
which is the level of flashes of fire, a flame that rises of itself. And not every person merits to stand in the level of “return to the One,” so that even in the state of shov he remains cleaving to G‑d, etc.
which is a flame that rises upward by itself. Not everyone can sustain the “return to the One,” staying bound to G‑d even while calm and engaged in ordinary life.
הגם שנמשך מלמעלה בחי׳ חיבוק וימינו תחבקני הרי הוא כמשל המחבק חבירו מאחוריו דהיינו שאהבה נמשך ג״כ לבחי׳ אחוריים ע״ד לא כאברהם שיצא ממנו ישמעאל כו׳
Although the level of embrace, “and His right hand embraces me,” is drawn from above, it is like the analogy of one who embraces his fellow from behind: that is, the love is drawn also to the level of the “back parts,” in the manner of “not like Avraham, from whom Yishmael came forth,” etc.
The embrace of Sukkos is like being embraced from behind: divine love reaches even the “back parts,” the external side. The Sages’ phrase “not like Avraham, from whom Yishmael came forth” is used here for a love so overflowing that it extends beyond holiness, toward the external side.
וגם בסוכות היו מקריבין שבעים פרים על שבעים אומות להמשיך להם השפעה כמו שכתוב במדרש שה״ש בפסוק הנך יפה רעיתי.15
And also, on Sukkos they would offer seventy bulls for the seventy nations, to draw down influence to them, as is written in the Midrash on Song of Songs on the verse “Behold, you are fair, my beloved.”
Similarly, the seventy bulls offered over Sukkos were, according to the Midrash, on behalf of the seventy nations, drawing blessing even to them. This shows the far reach of the Chesed revealed on Sukkos.
והנה בבחי׳ שוב כשמתרחק מן הרצוא יכול להיות בחי׳ נפילה לגמרי לבחי׳ אחוריים (ולזה נאמר וישכם אברהם בבקר16 ויחבוש את חמורו דהיינו שבכל בקר מתעורר חסד עליון להתגבר על בחי׳ חמור כו׳
Now, in the state of shov, when one moves away from the ratzo, there can be a complete falling into the level of the “back parts.” (Of this it is said, “And Avraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey”: that is, every morning supernal Chesed is aroused to overcome the level of the “donkey,” etc.,
The danger of shov is that a person who has left the rapture of prayer can fall entirely into the external side. Avraham rising early to saddle his donkey is read as supernal Chesed awakening each morning to master the chamor (donkey), a play on chomer, coarse matter,
הוא ענין חמרא אפי׳ בתקופת תמוז קרירא ליה דהיינו מה שאין האדם מתפעל מגדולת ה׳ ועד״ז נאמר אשר קרך בדרך17 כו׳ ובחי׳ אור האהבה דאברהם הוא ויחבוש את חמורו כו׳ וע׳ בזח״א וישלח)
which is the matter of “the donkey — even in the season of Tammuz it feels cold”: that is, when a person is not stirred by the greatness of G‑d. In the same vein it is said, “who chilled you on the way,” etc. And the level of the light of Avraham’s love is “and he saddled his donkey,” etc. And see Zohar I, Vayishlach)
which the Sages describe as cold even in the heat of summer: a person unmoved by G‑d’s greatness. Amalek, “who chilled you on the way,” is the same spiritual coldness, and Avraham’s love is the power that masters it.
(דקס״ו ב׳)18 וע׳ בזח״ב תרומה (קס״ו ב׳) איך מבחי׳ קרח נתברר הפסולת והם בחי׳ מים הרעים
(folio 166b); and see Zohar II, Terumah (folio 166b), how the waste is sifted out from the level of ice, and these are the level of “bad waters,”
The Zohar explains that from the “ice” the waste is sifted out, the “bad waters,” which here mean:
וזהו ענין תענוגים גשמיים ולזאת צריך לחזור ולעורר את האהבה כרשפי אש בחי׳ רצוא להגדיל מדורת אש האהבה
which is the matter of physical pleasures. Therefore one must again arouse the love like flashes of fire, the level of ratzo, to enlarge the blaze of the fire of love.
physical pleasures. Coldness can lead to them, so a person must rekindle his fiery love, the ratzo, to make the fire of love burn stronger.
This is “He sends forth His word and melts them,” in the manner of what is said in Zohar I, Bereishis (folio 29b): “The strength of the north congeals the waters, and the strength of the south releases the waters”;
This is “He sends forth His word and melts them.” The Zohar says the power of the north freezes the waters and the power of the south releases them; north stands for Gevurah and south for Chesed.
דהיינו ע״י תגבורת חום השמש נמס הקרח ונעשה מים וכך על ידי תגבורת רשפי אש האהבה בחי׳ רצוא נעשה המשכת חסד עליון ונתהפך מבחי׳ קרח לבחי׳ מים.
that is, through the intensified heat of the sun the ice melts and becomes water; and so, through the intensified flashes of the fire of love, the level of ratzo, supernal Chesed is drawn down, and it is transformed from the level of ice to the level of water.
As the sun’s heat melts ice into water, the renewed fire of love, the ratzo, draws down supernal Chesed and turns the “ice” back into flowing “water.”
וזהו ענין גבורות גשמים שיורדים בגבורה ע״י בחינת גבורה בחינת רשפי אש (ולפמ״ש לעיל דבחינת קרח זהו בחי׳ הפרסא המפסקת א״כ מה שנתהפך מבחי׳ קרח לבחי׳ מים היינו להיות הגילוי למטה בבי״ע
This is the matter of “the might of the rains,” which descend with might, through the level of Gevurah, the level of flashes of fire. (And according to what was explained above, that the level of ice is the level of the parsa that divides, the transformation from the level of ice to the level of water means that the revelation below, in Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, be
This is why the Sages speak of “the might (gevuros) of the rains”: the rain comes through Gevurah, the fiery love. And if the ice is the partition, melting it means that G‑d’s revelation below, in the lower worlds,
כמו למעלה וענין בחינה זו בשמע״צ הוא כמ״ש לעיל בפי׳ מאת הוי׳ היתה זאת21 שבחינת ח״ע שמאירה בבחי׳ ריחוק נעשה עתה בבחי׳ קירוב כו׳ ע״ש)
as it is above. And the matter of this level on Shemini Atzeres is as explained above on the meaning of “This was from Havayah”: that the level of supernal Chochmah, which shines in a mode of distance, now comes to be in a mode of nearness, etc.; see there.)
becomes like the revelation above. This is what happens on Shemini Atzeres: supernal Chochmah, which had shone from a distance, now shines close.
ובחי׳ מים הללו נמשכים ונוזלים למטה ע״י כי ישב רוחו הוא בחי׳ רוח הקדש רוח הנמשך מקדש העליון הוא בחי׳ חכמה עילאה (ע׳ זהר חקת קפ״ג ע״ב)
And these waters are drawn and flow down through “He causes His wind to blow”: this is the level of the holy spirit, a spirit drawn from the supernal “holy,” which is the level of supernal Chochmah (see Zohar, Chukas, folio 183b).
The waters flow when “He causes His wind (ruach) to blow.” This ruach is the holy spirit, drawn from supernal Chochmah, which is called “holy.”
ואזי יזלו מים שהיא בחי׳ תורה להיות מגיד דבריו ליעקב חוקיו ומשפטיו לישראל22 שהם הם כל המשניות והלכות שבתורה שבעל פה שנמשכו מבחי׳ ח״ע בחינת תורה שבכבת דאורייתא מחכמה נפקת כו׳
And then “the waters flow,” which is the level of Torah, so that there be “He tells His words to Yaakov, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel,” which are all the Mishnayos and halachos in the Oral Torah that were drawn from the level of supernal Chochmah, the level of the Written Torah; [for] “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah,” etc.
The flowing waters are Torah, and specifically the Oral Torah’s laws given to Israel, which derive from supernal Chochmah through the Written Torah, since “the Torah comes forth from Chochmah.”
וזהו ענין שמיני עצרת (והיינו כי ביום הכפורים הוא בחינת הנותן שלג כצמר להיות אם יהיו חטאיכם כשנים כשלג ילבינו כו׳
And this is the matter of Shemini Atzeres. (That is: on Yom Kippur it is the level of “He gives snow like wool,” so that “if your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow,” etc.
This is Shemini Atzeres. The parenthesis summarizes Psalm 147 as a map of the season: Yom Kippur is “He gives snow like wool,” whitening sins as snow;
ואח״כ כפור כאפר יפזר משליך קרחו זהו המשכת חסד עליון שבסוכות שנגלד ונעשה כפור וקרח וכמ״ש במן דק ככפור23 והמן הוא מבחי׳ טלא דבדולחא אשר זהו ג״כ שרש בחי׳ סוכות כמש״ל סד״ה האזינו השמים.
And afterwards, “He scatters frost like ashes; He casts forth His ice”: this is the drawing down of supernal Chesed on Sukkos, which congeals and becomes frost and ice, as it is written of the manna, “fine as frost”; and the manna is from the level of “the crystal dew,” which is also the root of the level of Sukkos, as explained above at the end of the maamar beginning “Give ear, O heavens.”
Sukkos is “frost” and “ice,” the Chesed that took on solid form, like the manna described as “fine as frost.” The manna comes from “the crystal dew,” a Kabbalistic term for a lofty source of life, which is also the root of Sukkos.
ואח״כ ישלח דברו וימסם ישב רוחו יזלו מיים זהו בחי׳ שמע״צ שזהו ענין משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם כנ״ל):242526
And afterwards, “He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, the waters flow”: this is the level of Shemini Atzeres, which is the matter of “He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall,” as said above.)
Shemini Atzeres is “He sends forth His word and melts them… the waters flow,” the melting of the ice into rain. This is why the prayer for wind and rain begins on Shemini Atzeres, completing the answer to the opening question.
This long section maps the festival cycle onto Psalm 147: Yom Kippur is snow, Sukkos is ice (supernal love taking on a graspable, clothed form as the shov of Torah and mitzvos), and Shemini Atzeres is the melting of ice into flowing water, when renewed fiery love draws supernal Chesed and Chochmah down as the Torah’s blessing for the year. Along the way it explains the partition between Atzilus and Beriah as “ice” and warns that shov without renewed ratzo can harden into coldness.
The parsa between Atzilus and Beriah and the shov of mitzvos are presented as one structure: in both, a higher light is “frozen” into a form that lower beings can receive. Melting the ice on Shemini Atzeres means the revelation below becomes like the revelation above, the goal expressed earlier as “their beginning is wedged in their end.”
Marei mekomos
- 1
How it connects
“And His right hand embraces me”: the Alter Rebbe identifies the right hand with the great love revealed on Sukkos.our note
The source
Song of Songs 2:6שיר השירים ב׳:ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)5סַמְּכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים כִּי־חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי: 6שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי: 7הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה אִם־תָּעִירוּ וְאִם־תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ:
5’Stay ye me with dainties, refresh me with apples; For I am love-sick.’ 6Let his left hand be under my head, And his right hand embrace me. 7’I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, and by the hinds of the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 2
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to Song of Songs 8:3 for these words.
The source
Song of Songs 8:3שיר השירים ח׳:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2אֶנְהָגְךָ אֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל־בֵּית אִמִּי תְּלַמְּדֵנִי אַשְׁקְךָ מִיַּיִן הָרֶקַח מֵעֲסִיס רִמֹּנִי: 3שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת רֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי: 4הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם מַה־תָּעִירוּ וּמַה־תְּעֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ:
2… me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate. 3His left hand should be under my head, And his right hand should embrace me. 4’I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem: Why should ye awaken, or stir up love, Until it please?’
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 3
On the words
ה׳ צלך
How it connects
“G‑d is your shade”: the sukkah as the shade of G‑d’s encompassing presence.our note
The source
Psalms 121:5תהילים קכ״א:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל: 5ה׳ שֹׁמְרֶךָ ה׳ צִלְּךָ עַל־יַד יְמִינֶךָ: 6יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא־יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה:
4Behold, He that keepeth Israel Doth neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper; The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
וסוכה תהיה לצל יומם
How it connects
“There shall be a sukkah for shade by day”: cited from the maamar on “Give ear, O heavens” to link the sukkah with divine shade.our note
The source
Isaiah 4:6ישעיהו ד׳:ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)5וּבָרָא ה׳ עַל כׇּל־מְכוֹן הַר־צִיּוֹן וְעַל־מִקְרָאֶהָ עָנָן יוֹמָם וְעָשָׁן וְנֹגַהּ אֵשׁ לֶהָבָה לָיְלָה כִּי עַל־כׇּל־כָּבוֹד חֻפָּה: 6וְסֻכָּה תִּהְיֶה לְצֵל־יוֹמָם מֵחֹרֶב וּלְמַחְסֶה וּלְמִסְתּוֹר מִזֶּרֶם וּמִמָּטָר:
5… shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy. 6And there shall be a pavilion for a shadow in the day-time from the heat, and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 5
On the words
הנה מקום אתי
How it connects
“Behold, there is a place with Me”: the basis for calling G‑d “the place of the world.”our note
The source
Exodus 33:21שמות ל״ג:כ״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)20וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת־פָּנָי כִּי לֹא־יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי: 21וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ הִנֵּה מָקוֹם אִתִּי וְנִצַּבְתָּ עַל־הַצּוּר: 22וְהָיָה בַּעֲבֹר כְּבֹדִי וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ בְּנִקְרַת הַצּוּר וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ עַד־עׇבְרִי:
20And He said: ‘Thou canst not see My face, for man shall not see Me and live.’ 21And the LORD said: ‘Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock. 22And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 6
How it connects
“On the eighth day shall be an assembly”: the verse of Shemini Atzeres that opens the maamar referred to.our note
The source
Numbers 29:35במדבר כ״ט:ל״הSefaria (opens in a new tab)34וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת אֶחָד מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד מִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ: 35בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם כׇּל־מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ: 36וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עֹלָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַה׳ פַּר אֶחָד אַיִל אֶחָד כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי־שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה תְּמִימִם:
34and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof. 35On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no manner of servile work; 36but ye shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 7
On the words
משליך קרחו כפיתים
How it connects
“He casts forth His ice like morsels; before His cold who can stand?”: the image of Chesed congealed into ice and of the coldness of shov.our note
The source
Psalms 147:17תהילים קמ״ז:י״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)16הַנֹּתֵן שֶׁלֶג כַּצָּמֶר כְּפוֹר כָּאֵפֶר יְפַזֵּר: 17מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ כְפִתִּים לִפְנֵי קָרָתוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד: 18יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיַמְסֵם יַשֵּׁב רוּחוֹ יִזְּלוּ־מָיִם:
16He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17He casteth forth His ice like crumbs; Who can stand before His cold? 18He sendeth forth His word, and melteth them; He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 8
On the words
הנותן שלג כצמר
How it connects
“He gives snow like wool, He scatters frost like ashes”: the Alter Rebbe reads snow as Yom Kippur and frost as Sukkos.our note
The source
Psalms 147:16תהילים קמ״ז:ט״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)15הַשֹּׁלֵחַ אִמְרָתוֹ אָרֶץ עַד־מְהֵרָה יָרוּץ דְּבָרוֹ: 16הַנֹּתֵן שֶׁלֶג כַּצָּמֶר כְּפוֹר כָּאֵפֶר יְפַזֵּר: 17מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ כְפִתִּים לִפְנֵי קָרָתוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד:
15He sendeth out His commandment upon earth; His word runneth very swiftly. 16He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17He casteth forth His ice like crumbs; Who can stand before His cold?
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 9
On the words
לבושיה כתלג חיור
How it connects
The garment white as snow in Daniel’s vision, linked to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.our note
The source
Daniel 7:9דניאל ז׳:ט׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)8… סִלְקָת בֵּינֵיהֵן וּתְלָת מִן־קַרְנַיָּא קַדְמָיָתָא אֶתְעֲקַרָה מִן־[קֳדָמַהּ] (קדמיה) וַאֲלוּ עַיְנִין כְּעַיְנֵי אֲנָשָׁא בְּקַרְנָא־דָא וּפֻם מְמַלִּל רַבְרְבָן: 9חָזֵה הֲוֵית עַד דִּי כׇרְסָוָן רְמִיו וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יְתִב לְבוּשֵׁהּ כִּתְלַג חִוָּר וּשְׂעַר רֵאשֵׁהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא כׇּרְסְיֵהּ שְׁבִבִין דִּי־נוּר גַּלְגִּלּוֹהִי נוּר דָּלִק: 10נְהַר דִּי־נוּר נָגֵד וְנָפֵק מִן־קֳדָמוֹהִי אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּהּ וְרִבּוֹ רִבְבָן קָדָמוֹהִי יְקוּמוּן דִּינָא יְתִב וְסִפְרִין פְּתִיחוּ:
8… this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9I beheld Till thrones were placed, And one that was ancient of days did sit: His raiment was as white snow, And the hair of his head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. 10A fiery stream issued And came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, And …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 10
How it connects
Solomon’s prayer that all the peoples of the earth may know that G‑d is G‑d: the goal of drawing G‑d’s oneness to the lowest places.our note
The source
I Kings 8:60מלכים א ח׳:ס׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)59… הִתְחַנַּנְתִּי לִפְנֵי ה׳ קְרֹבִים אֶל־ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדּוֹ וּמִשְׁפַּט עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ: 60לְמַעַן דַּעַת כׇּל־עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים אֵין עוֹד: 61וְהָיָה לְבַבְכֶם שָׁלֵם עִם ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ לָלֶכֶת בְּחֻקָּיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתָיו כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה:
59… cause of His servant, and the cause of His people Israel, as every day shall require; 60that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD, He is God; there is none else. 61Let your heart therefore be whole with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes, …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 11
How it connects
Ezekiel sees a firmament like awesome ice over the chayos; the Alter Rebbe identifies it with the partition between Atzilus and Beriah.our note
The source
Ezekiel 1:22יחזקאל א׳:כ״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)21בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וּבְעׇמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ וּבְהִנָּשְׂאָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ יִנָּשְׂאוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעֻמָּתָם כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים: 22וּדְמוּת עַל־רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא נָטוּי עַל־רָאשֵׁיהֶם מִלְמָעְלָה: 23וְתַחַת הָרָקִיעַ כַּנְפֵיהֶם יְשָׁרוֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחוֹתָהּ לְאִישׁ שְׁתַּיִם מְכַסּוֹת לָהֵנָּה וּלְאִישׁ שְׁתַּיִם מְכַסּוֹת לָהֵנָּה אֵת גְּוִיֹּתֵיהֶם:
21… were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 22And over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like the colour of the terrible ice, stretched forth over their heads above. 23And under the firmament were their wings conformable the one to the other; this one of …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 12
How it connects
Solomon spoke three thousand parables: an example of clothing wisdom in parables.our note
The source
I Kings 5:12מלכים א ה׳:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וַיֶּחְכַּם מִכׇּל־הָאָדָם מֵאֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי וְהֵימָן וְכַלְכֹּל וְדַרְדַּע בְּנֵי מָחוֹל וַיְהִי־שְׁמוֹ בְכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם סָבִיב: 12וַיְדַבֵּר שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים מָשָׁל וַיְהִי שִׁירוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה וָאָלֶף: 13וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־הָעֵצִים מִן־הָאֶרֶז אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד הָאֵזוֹב אֲשֶׁר יֹצֵא בַּקִּיר וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־הַבְּהֵמָה וְעַל־הָעוֹף וְעַל־הָרֶמֶשׂ וְעַל־הַדָּגִים:
11… and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations round about. 12And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. 13And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop …
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- 13
How it connects
“Avraham was old, advanced in days”: the opening of a maamar the text refers to on Torah and mitzvos as garments.our note
The source
Genesis 24:1בראשית כ״ד:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַה׳ בֵּרַךְ אֶת־אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל: 2וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל־עַבְדּוֹ זְקַן בֵּיתוֹ הַמֹּשֵׁל בְּכׇל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ שִׂים־נָא יָדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִי:
1And Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that …
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- 14
On the words
ויבא משה בתוך הענן
How it connects
Moshe entered the cloud; the maamar cited uses this to explain how Torah and mitzvos clothe the divine light.our note
The source
Exodus 24:18שמות כ״ד:י״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)17וּמַרְאֵה כְּבוֹד ה׳ כְּאֵשׁ אֹכֶלֶת בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: 18וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָנָן וַיַּעַל אֶל־הָהָר וַיְהִי מֹשֶׁה בָּהָר אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לָיְלָה:
17… devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 15
On the words
הנך יפה רעיתי
How it connects
The verse on which the Midrash discusses the seventy bulls of Sukkos.our note
The source
Song of Songs 1:15שיר השירים א׳:ט״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)14אֶשְׁכֹּל הַכֹּפֶר דּוֹדִי לִי בְּכַרְמֵי עֵין גֶּדִי: 15הִנָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי הִנָּךְ יָפָה עֵינַיִךְ יוֹנִים: 16הִנְּךָ יָפֶה דוֹדִי אַף נָעִים אַף־עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה:
14My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna In the vineyards of En-gedi. 15Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are as doves. . 16Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; Also our couch is leafy.
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Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 16
How it connects
Avraham rising early to saddle his donkey: read as supernal Chesed mastering coarse, cold matter.our note
The source
Genesis 22:3בראשית כ״ב:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2וַיֹּאמֶר קַח־נָא אֶת־בִּנְךָ אֶת־יְחִידְךָ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַבְתָּ אֶת־יִצְחָק וְלֶךְ־לְךָ אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּה וְהַעֲלֵהוּ שָׁם לְעֹלָה עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ: 3וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת־חֲמֹרוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת־שְׁנֵי נְעָרָיו אִתּוֹ וְאֵת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיְבַקַּע עֲצֵי עֹלָה וַיָּקׇם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־אָמַר־לוֹ הָאֱלֹקִים: 4בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת־עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק:
2… him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.’ 3And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
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- 17
On the words
אשר קרך בדרך
How it connects
Amalek “who chilled you on the way”: the coldness that cools a person’s feeling for G‑d.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 25:18דברים כ״ה:י״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)17זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם: 18אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כׇּל־הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹקִים: 19וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ לְךָ מִכׇּל־אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה׳אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ תִּמְחֶה אֶת־זֵכֶר …
17Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt; 18how he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, all that were enfeebled in thy rear, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. 19Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine …
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Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 18
On the words
וע׳ בזח״א וישלח) (דקס״ו ב׳)
How it connects
The Zohar in Vayishlach, cited by the text in this discussion.our note
The source
Zohar, Vayishlach 1:16–2:26ספר הזהר, וישלח א׳:ט״ז-ב׳:כ״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 19
On the words
ישלח דברו וימסם
How it connects
“He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, the waters flow”: the melting of the ice on Shemini Atzeres.our note
The source
Psalms 147:18תהילים קמ״ז:י״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)17מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ כְפִתִּים לִפְנֵי קָרָתוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד: 18יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיַמְסֵם יַשֵּׁב רוּחוֹ יִזְּלוּ־מָיִם: 19מַגִּיד דְּבָרָו לְיַעֲקֹב חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל:
17He casteth forth His ice like crumbs; Who can stand before His cold? 18He sendeth forth His word, and melteth them; He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19He declareth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 20
On the words
בזח״א בראשית (כ״ט ב׳)
How it connects
The Zohar: the strength of the north freezes the waters and the strength of the south releases them.our note
The source
Zohar, Bereshit 30:300–310ספר הזהר, בראשית ל׳:ש׳-ש״יSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 21
On the words
מאת הוי׳ היתה זאת
How it connects
“This was from G‑d”: explained earlier as supernal Chochmah shining close rather than from afar.our note
The source
Psalms 118:23תהילים קי״ח:כ״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)22אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה: 23מֵאֵת ה׳ הָיְתָה זֹּאת הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ: 24זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה׳ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ:
22The stone which the builders rejected Is become the chief corner-stone. 23This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 22
On the words
מגיד דבריו ליעקב חוקיו ומשפטיו לישראל
How it connects
“He tells His words to Yaakov, His statutes and ordinances to Israel”: the Torah that flows down on Shemini Atzeres.our note
The source
Psalms 147:19תהילים קמ״ז:י״טSefaria (opens in a new tab)18יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיַמְסֵם יַשֵּׁב רוּחוֹ יִזְּלוּ־מָיִם: 19מַגִּיד דְּבָרָו לְיַעֲקֹב חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: 20לֹא־עָשָׂה כֵן לְכׇל־גּוֹי וּמִשְׁפָּטִים בַּל־יְדָעוּם הַלְלוּ־קָהּ:
18He sendeth forth His word, and melteth them; He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19He declareth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel. 20He hath not dealt so with any nation; And as for His ordinances, they have not …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 23
On the words
דק ככפור
How it connects
The manna was “fine as frost”; the Alter Rebbe connects it to the frost of Sukkos.our note
The source
Exodus 16:14שמות ט״ז:י״דSefaria (opens in a new tab)13וַיְהִי בָעֶרֶב וַתַּעַל הַשְּׂלָו וַתְּכַס אֶת־הַמַּחֲנֶה וּבַבֹּקֶר הָיְתָה שִׁכְבַת הַטַּל סָבִיב לַמַּחֲנֶה: 14וַתַּעַל שִׁכְבַת הַטָּל וְהִנֵּה עַל־פְּנֵי הַמִּדְבָּר דַּק מְחֻסְפָּס דַּק כַּכְּפֹר עַל־הָאָרֶץ: 15וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו מָן הוּא כִּי לֹא יָדְעוּ מַה־הוּא וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֲלֵהֶם הוּא הַלֶּחֶם …
13… the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew round about the camp. 14And when the layer of dew was gone up, behold upon the face of the wilderness a fine, scale-like thing, fine as the hoar-frost on the ground. 15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another: ‘What is it?’—for …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 24
How it connects
The Zohar in Chukas, cited by the text for the holy spirit drawn from supernal Chochmah.our note
The source
Zohar, Chukat 10:70–11:79ספר הזהר, חקת י׳:ע׳-י״א:ע״טSefaria (opens in a new tab) - 25
How it connects
The Midrash that the seventy bulls offered on Sukkos correspond to the seventy nations.our note
The source
Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:15:2שיר השירים רבה א׳:ט״ו:ב׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab) - 26
How it connects
“All the people saw the sounds”: the opening words of a maamar the text refers to on bittul.our note
The source
Exodus 20:15שמות כ׳:ט״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)14לֹא תַחְמֹד בֵּית רֵעֶךָ לֹא־תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ וְעַבְדּוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ וְשׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ: 15וְכׇל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק: 16וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹקִים פֶּן־נָמוּת:
14… nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. 15And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off. 16And they said unto Moses: ‘Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not …
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“He sent the people away”: drawing down kingship ¶9–11
9ד וזהו ביום השמיני שלח1 את העם ויברכו את המלך כי אין מלך בלא עם234 ולא שייך לפניו ית׳ להיות נקרא שמו מלך
4. And this is [the meaning of] “On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king.” For there is no king without a people, and it does not apply before Him, may He be blessed, that His Name be called “King,”
The fourth section returns to the opening verse. “There is no king without a people”: kingship needs subjects who are separate from the king and accept his rule. On its own terms, G‑d’s relationship to creation does not fit this description,
כי על מי הוא מלך שהרי הוא מהווה את הכל והיה הוה ויהיה בשוה בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת אין עוד5 אלא ע״י עבודתנו אנו ממשיכים מלכותו עלינו
for over whom is He king? After all, He brings everything into being, and “He was, He is and He will be” equally, “in the heavens above and on the earth below — there is none else.” Rather, through our service we draw His kingship upon ourselves,
because He creates everything and is equally present everywhere; next to Him “there is none else,” so there is no separate “people” for Him to rule. His kingship becomes real only when we, through our service, accept it upon ourselves.
וכמאמר אמרו לפני מלכיות כדי שתמליכוני עליכם כמ״ש במ״א ועמ״ש מזה בד״ה אתם נצבים גבי למען הקים אותך היום לו לעם כו׳ ע״ש
as in the saying, “Recite before Me [verses of] Kingship, so that you make Me King over you,” as explained elsewhere. And see what is explained on this in the maamar beginning “You are standing,” regarding “in order to establish you today as a people to Him,” etc.; see there.
This is the Sages’ teaching about the Kingship verses of Rosh HaShanah: “so that you make Me King over you.” It is we who crown G‑d, and the Alter Rebbe refers to a maamar on “You are standing” about being established as G‑d’s people.
והנה המשכת בחי׳ מלכותו אינו בבחי׳ רצוא שהוא להשתפך נפשו כו׳ אלא הוא בחי׳ שוב וכמ״ש שום תשים עליך מלך6 כו׳ וכמ״ש במ״א
Now, the drawing down of the level of His kingship is not in the mode of ratzo, which is for one’s soul to pour itself out, etc.; rather, it is the level of shov, as it is written, “You shall surely set a king over you,” etc., and as explained elsewhere.
Drawing down G‑d’s kingship does not happen in the rapture of ratzo, where the soul longs to pour itself out, but in shov, the settled return to life. The Torah says “set a king over you”: accepting a king is an act of steady submission.
וזהו שלח את העם להיות בבחי׳ שוב כדי להיות בחי׳7 עם:(ולתוספת ביאור8 ענין שלח זהו כמ״ש המשלח מעינים בנחלים910 כו׳ ישקו כל חיתו שדי שזהו בחי׳ ההמשכה מבחי׳ ח״ע
This is “he sent the people away”: to be in the state of shov, so as to be the level of “a people.” (For further explanation of the matter of “sent”: it is as it is written, “He sends forth springs into the streams,” etc., “they give drink to every beast of the field” — which is the level of the drawing down from the level of supernal Chochmah,
So “he sent the people away” means sending them into shov, so that they become an am, a “people,” with a sense of their own existence over which G‑d can reign. A gloss (to part 9) adds that “sent” echoes “He sends forth springs into the streams,” a flow from supernal Chochmah.
שהיא בחי׳ מעיין הנובע ממקור מים חיים הוא בחי׳ סתימא דכל סתימין שמזה נמשך להיות ישקו כל חיתו שדי ישברו פראים צמאם שהוא בחי׳ ומדרג׳ השוב שאחר הצמאון והרצוא וע׳ מ״ש על פסוק זה בזהר פ׳ חקת)
which is the level of a spring flowing from the source of living waters; it is the level of “the most hidden of all hidden,” from which is drawn “they give drink to every beast of the field, the wild asses quench their thirst” — which is the level and rank of shov that follows the thirst and the ratzo. And see what is said on this verse in the Zohar, Parshas Chukas)
Chochmah is like a spring from a hidden source, rooted in the most concealed level. Its waters reach the “beasts of the field” and quench the “thirst” of the wild asses: this quenching is the shov that follows the thirst and longing of ratzo.
(folio 181a). And see what is explained above on the verse “You shall draw water,” etc., “from the wellsprings of salvation.” And the meaning of “into the streams” may also be explained along the lines of what is explained at the end of the maamar beginning
The Zohar on this verse and an earlier maamar on “You shall draw water with joy from the wellsprings of salvation” are cited. The word “streams” (nechalim) is also linked to a theme from another maamar,
להבין פי׳ הפסוק מי אל כמוך13 גבי לשארית נחלתו14 נחלה עבר15 על נפשנו שהוא בחינת ההמשכה לנש״י כו׳ ע״ש וכמ״ש מה טובו אוהליך יעקב1617 כו׳
“To understand the meaning of the verse ‘Who is a G‑d like You,’” regarding “for the remnant of His inheritance” — “a stream has passed over our soul” — which is the level of the drawing down to the souls of Israel, etc.; see there. And as it is written, “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov,” etc.,
which connects nachal (stream) with nachalah (inheritance): the flow drawn down to the souls of Israel, G‑d’s inheritance. Balaam’s blessing of Yaakov’s tents is cited for the same image,
כנחלים נטיו כו׳ ועיין בזהר ויקרא (דף י״ו סע״א) גבי כארזים עלי מים. וזהו ג״כ מ״ש ושולח מים ע״פ חוצות.18
“like streams stretched out,” etc. And see the Zohar, Vayikra (folio 16, the end of side a), regarding “like cedars beside the waters.” And this too is what is said, “and sends waters upon the open places.”
where Israel is compared to “streams stretched out” and to cedars beside the water. The verse “He sends waters upon the open places” likewise describes divine flow reaching outward.
עוד יובן ענין שלח ע״ד מ״ש במ״א בד״ה ויהי בשלח פרעה19 את העם שע״י גלותם במצרים גרמו שנתעלו בחי׳ ניצוצי אלקות שנפלו שמה בשבירת הכלים
Further, the matter of “sent” will be understood along the lines of what is explained elsewhere, in the maamar beginning “And it was when Pharaoh sent the people”: that through their exile in Egypt they brought about the elevation of the sparks of G‑dliness that had fallen there in the shattering of the vessels;
A second meaning of “sent” comes from the maamar on “when Pharaoh sent the people.” The exile in Egypt raised up the sparks of G‑dliness that had fallen there in the “shattering of the vessels,” the primordial breaking by which holy sparks came to be scattered in the world.
והוא הוא בחי׳ כח הצומח להצמיח ישועות ישראל כמ״ש ופרעה הקריב20 וארז״ל שהקריב את ישראל לאביהם שבשמים2122 וע״ז נאמר בשלח פרעה את העם23 שהיה משלח פארות וענפים ועושה פרי למעלה את העם כו׳ ע״ש באריכות.
and this is the very level of the power of growth, to make the salvations of Israel sprout, as it is written, “And Pharaoh drew near,” and our Sages said that he drew Israel near to their Father in heaven. Of this it is said, “when Pharaoh sent the people”: that he was sending forth boughs and branches and making fruit above — “the people,” etc. See there at length.
This raising of sparks is a power of growth. The text reads beshalach as “sending forth” shoots: Pharaoh, unwillingly, made Israel “sprout” boughs and fruit above, just as the Sages read “Pharaoh drew near” as his drawing Israel near to their Father in heaven.
The paragraph explains “he sent the people away” as the drawing down of G‑d’s kingship, which requires a “people” and comes through shov rather than ratzo. A gloss adds two further readings of “sent”: the flow of supernal Chochmah like springs into streams, and the growth produced by raising the fallen sparks, as in “when Pharaoh sent the people.”
A Kehot note, citing a maamar of 5741, explains that “the level of am” here refers to omemus, a dimmed and separate existence; the passage in Likkutei Torah on Balak explains that because G‑d’s kingship is exalted above the worlds, they come into being as separate “people.” The note also records that the passage beginning “For further explanation” is a gloss, absent from the manuscript of the maamar.
Marei mekomos
- 1
How it connects
The opening verse, now read as the drawing down of G‑d’s kingship through the “people.”our note
The source
I Kings 8:66מלכים א ח׳:ס״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)65… קָהָל גָּדוֹל מִלְּבוֹא חֲמָת עַד־נַחַל מִצְרַיִם לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְשִׁבְעַת יָמִים אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם: 66בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שִׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָם וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֵּלְכוּ לְאׇהֳלֵיהֶם שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב עַל כׇּל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ:
65… Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David His servant, and to Israel His people.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 2
On the words
אין מלך בלא עם
How it connects
The passage explains “there is no king without a people”: because G‑d’s kingship is exalted above the worlds, they come into being as an am, from omemus, separate and “dimmed” existences, like subjects who shrink before a king on his throne.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהBalak 68a
ומלכותך מלכות כל עולמים וגו׳. ולפי שהוא רם ומתנשא מהם נעשו בחי׳ עם מלשון עוממות דברים זרים ונפרדים כי אין מלך בלא עם והתהוותם בבחי׳ עם הוא מבחי׳ התנשאות המלך עצמו ממילא יורדים להיות בבחי׳ עם וכמשל המלך היושב על כסאו שמחמת זה זעים ונרתעים הכל מלפניו ונעשים שפלים לפניו. ולכן מבחי׳ מלכותו ית׳ שהוא בחי׳ א״ס ותכלית נעשו ונתהוו עולמות בעלי גבול בבריאה יצירה עשייה ג״כ בבחי׳ א״ס ותכלית כמ״ש היש מספר לגדודיו אלא מפני שהם חיים וקיימים מבחינת התנשאות מלכותו ית׳ המתנשא מימות עולם. לכן יורדים בבחי׳ פירוד והתחלקות לכמה מינים ממינים שונים. אך איך הם מקבלים חיותם ממדת מלכותו ית׳ והוא מתנשא מהם הנה באמת על זה כתיב כי שמש ומגן ה׳ אלקים והוא כח אלהי שהוא כל יכול והן הן גבורותיו כו׳. וכמ״ש בסש״ב חלק ב׳ …
Our explanationThis is why kingship needs a “people” with a sense of separateness.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Yisro, maamar 2לעיל פ׳ בלק סח, אpage 68a, ¶9
שמותיו ית׳ והתלבשותו בחכ׳ וחסד הוי״ה בנקוד פת״ח בחכמה כו׳ ולכן נקראו המצות בשם אברין דמלכא דכמו שמלובש חיות הנפש באברין ע״ד משל עד שמתאחדת עמהם כך מלובש אור א״ס ב״ה המשכת בחי׳ שמותיו ית׳ בבחי׳ חכמה וחסד שבמעשה המצות עד שמתאחדת ממש באור א״ס ב״ה הנמשך בהם.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
בחיי וישב לח, ל. ר״פ בלק. ס׳ החיים פ׳ גאולה פ״ב. עמק המלך ש׳ שעשועי המלך רפ״א.
פדר״א (פ״ג). [כ]. ראה לעיל פ׳ בלק סח, א.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 3
On the words
אין מלך בלא עם
How it connects
The saying “there is no king without a people,” listed among its sources in the Kehot note.our note
The source
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 3:5פרקי דרבי אליעזר ג׳:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)מִיָּד נִתְיַעֵץ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ תּוּשִׁיָּה לִבְרֹא אֶת הָעוֹלָם. הֵשִׁיבָה לוֹ וְאָמְרָה: רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים, אִם אֵין צָבָא וְאִם אֵין מַחֲנֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ – עַל מָה הוּא מוֹלֵךְ? וְאִם אֵין עַם מְקַלְּסִין לַמֶּלֶךְ אֵי זֶה הוּא כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ? שָׁמַע אֲדוֹן הָעוֹלָם וְעָרַב לוֹ. אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: בִּי נִתְיַעֵץ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבְרֹא אֶת הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ח, יד): ״לִי עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה״ וְכוּ'. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: כָּל מַלְכוּת שֶׁאֵין לָהּ יוֹעֲצִים, אֵין מַלְכוּתָהּ מַלְכוּת. וּמִנַּיִן אָנוּ לְמֵדִים? מִמַּלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד שֶׁהָיוּ לָהּ …
Forthwith the Holy One, blessed be He, took counsel with the Torah whose name is Tushijah (Stability or Wisdom) with reference to the creation of the world. (The Torah) replied and said to Him: Sovereign of the worlds ! if there be no host for the king and if there be no camp for the king, over whom does he rule? If there be no people to praise the king, where is the honour of the king? The Holy One, blessed be He, heard this and it pleased Him. The Torah spake: The Holy One, blessed be He, took counsel with me concerning the creation of the world, as it is said, "Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge; I am understanding; I have might" (Prov. 8:14). Hence they say, Every government which has …
Hebrew: Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer, Sefaria Vocalized Edition (Public Domain) · English: Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, trans. Rabbi Gerald Friedlander, London, 1916 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
אין מלך בלא עם
How it connects
Rabbeinu Bachya cites the principle that there is no king without a people; the Kehot note lists it among the sources.our note
The source
Rabbeinu Bahya, Bereshit 38:30רבנו בחיי, בראשית ל״ח:ל׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 5
On the words
בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת אין עוד
How it connects
G‑d is G‑d in heaven above and on earth below, there is none else: nothing exists apart from Him to be ruled.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 4:39דברים ד׳:ל״טSefaria (opens in a new tab)38לְהוֹרִישׁ גּוֹיִם גְּדֹלִים וַעֲצֻמִים מִמְּךָ מִפָּנֶיךָ לַהֲבִיאֲךָ לָתֶת־לְךָ אֶת־אַרְצָם נַחֲלָה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה: 39וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל־לְבָבֶךָ כִּי ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל־הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת אֵין עוֹד: 40וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת־חֻקָּיו וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לְךָ וּלְבָנֶיךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ וּלְמַעַן תַּאֲרִיךְ יָמִים עַל־הָאֲדָמָה …
38… bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day; 39know this day, and lay it to thy heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else. 40And thou shalt keep His statutes, and His commandments, which I command thee this day, that …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דברים ד, לט.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 6
On the words
שום תשים עליך מלך
How it connects
The command to set a king over oneself: kingship involves settled acceptance, the mode of shov.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 17:15דברים י״ז:ט״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)14כִּי־תָבֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּה בָּהּ וְאָמַרְתָּ אָשִׂימָה עָלַי מֶלֶךְ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתָי: 15שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בּוֹ מִקֶּרֶב אַחֶיךָ תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ אִישׁ נׇכְרִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־אָחִיךָ הוּא: 16רַק לֹא־יַרְבֶּה־לּוֹ סוּסִים וְלֹא־יָשִׁיב אֶת־הָעָם מִצְרַיְמָה לְמַעַן הַרְבּוֹת סוּס וַה׳ אָמַר לָכֶם לֹא תֹסִפוּן לָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה עוֹד:
14… ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me’; 15thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose; one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother. 16Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דברים יז, טו.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 7
On the words
להיות בבחי׳ שוב כדי להיות בחי׳ עם
How it connects
The note quotes this maamar: “the level of am here” means the level of omemus, a dimmed, separate existence.our note
Where the note points
The Rebbe’s maamar “ביום השמיני שלח” (5741)ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשמ״אA maamar of the Rebbe, 5741
Our explanationSo sending the people into shov gives them the separate existence over which G‑d can be King.
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
”שהכוונה ב”בחי׳ עם” כאן היא לבחי׳ עוממות” — ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשמ״א (הנ״ל) הערה 90.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 8
On the words
(ולתוספות ביאור
How it connects
The note explains that the passage beginning “For further explanation” is a gloss (hagahah), and that this gloss was printed with an addition, and a further continuation, in Or HaTorah.our note
Where the note points
Or HaTorah, by the Tzemach Tzedekאור התורהShemini Atzeres, p. 1809, where there is a further continuation
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Manuscript of the maamarכתב ידthe manuscript in which the maamar appears without the glosses
Our explanationAccording to the note, the manuscript shows the maamar without the glosses, which establishes where this gloss begins and ends.
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ההגהה מסתיימת בסוף עמוד זה בשו״ה גליות — לאחרי תי׳ ואזי (כן מוכח מהכת״י שם נמצא המאמר בלי ההגהות). הגהה זו נדפסה עם הוספה באוה״ת שמע״צ ע׳ א׳תתט, ושם המשך נוסף.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 9
On the words
המשלח מעינים בנחלים גו׳ ישקו כל חיתו שדי
How it connects
The words here quote Psalms 104:10; the passage is shown below.
The source
Psalms 104:10תהילים ק״ד:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9גְּבוּל־שַׂמְתָּ בַּל־יַעֲבֹרוּן בַּל־יְשֻׁבוּן לְכַסּוֹת הָאָרֶץ: 10הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ מַעְיָנִים בַּנְּחָלִים בֵּין הָרִים יְהַלֵּכוּן: 11יַשְׁקוּ כׇּל־חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי יִשְׁבְּרוּ פְרָאִים צְמָאָם:
9… bound which they should not pass over, That they might not return to cover the earth. 10Who sendest forth springs into the valleys; They run between the mountains; 11They give drink to every beast of the field, The wild asses quench their thirst. .
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים קד, י-יא.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 10
On the words
המשלח מעינים בנחלים
How it connects
He sends springs into the streams, giving drink to the beasts of the field and quenching the wild asses’ thirst: the flow of Chochmah and the shov that follows thirst.our note
The source
Psalms 104:10–11תהילים ק״ד:י׳-י״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ מַעְיָנִים בַּנְּחָלִים בֵּין הָרִים יְהַלֵּכוּן: יַשְׁקוּ כׇּל־חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי יִשְׁבְּרוּ פְרָאִים צְמָאָם:
Who sendest forth springs into the valleys; They run between the mountains; They give drink to every beast of the field, The wild asses quench their thirst. .
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 11
On the words
בזהר פ׳ חקת) (דקפ״א ע״א)
How it connects
The Zohar in Chukas on the verse of the springs, cited by the text.our note
The source
Zohar, Chukat 3:16–4:25ספר הזהר, חקת ג׳:ט״ז-ד׳:כ״הSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 12
On the words
ממעיני הישועה
How it connects
“You shall draw water with joy from the wellsprings of salvation,” explained earlier in Likkutei Torah.our note
The source
Isaiah 12:3ישעיהו י״ב:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2הִנֵּה אֵל יְשׁוּעָתִי אֶבְטַח וְלֹא אֶפְחָד כִּי־עׇזִּי וְזִמְרָת קָהּ ה׳ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה: 3וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם־מַיִם בְּשָׂשׂוֹן מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה: 4וַאֲמַרְתֶּם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הוֹדוּ לַה׳ קִרְאוּ בִשְׁמוֹ הוֹדִיעוּ בָעַמִּים עֲלִילֹתָיו הַזְכִּירוּ כִּי נִשְׂגָּב שְׁמוֹ:
2… afraid; For GOD the LORD is my strength and song; And He is become my salvation.’ 3Therefore with joy shall ye draw water Out of the wells of salvation. 4And in that day shall ye say: ‘Give thanks unto the LORD, proclaim His name, Declare …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 13
On the words
סד״ה להבין פי הפסוק מי אל כמוך
How it connects
The end of the maamar on “Who is a G‑d like You,” to which the text refers for the meaning of nachal as the flow drawn to the souls of Israel.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורה62b; and the places listed at 5a
מצד עצמו אין זה כלום. לזה התפלל עליו דוד המע״ה שגם לב נשבר ונדכה ע״י פעולה לא תבזה עכ״פ שגם בפעולת הנדכה יהא גילוי אור א״ס ב״ה דהיינו שיהא בטל לאוא״ס ב״ה המקיף עליו מלמעלה הגם שאינו נכנס בפנימית לבו וכנ״ל (וגדולה מזו איתא בגמרא בפרק יש בערכין) (די״ו ב׳) בענין ענוה שלא לשמה כו׳ עוד עיין מענין רוח נשברה לב נשבר ונדכה בגמרא פ״ק דסוטה (דף ה׳ ע״ב) פ״ו דסנהדרין (דמ״ג ע״ב) וברבות ר״פ צו את אהרן ובפ׳ נשא פי״ג בפסוק ביום הרביעי נשיא לבני ראובן. ובזח״ג בפ׳ פינחס (דר״מ ע״א ודרמ״ז א׳) ברע״מ ובפ׳ ויקרא (דף ה׳ ע״א) ובפי׳ הרמ״ז שם שהאריך בזה. ובסבא דשמפטים (דק״ח א׳) וברע״מ פ׳ בהעלותך (דקנ״ג א׳) ועוד נזכר מזה בזח״א (קצ״ח א׳) ח״ב (ס״א סע״א פ״ו ב׳) ח״ג (ט׳ א׳ מ״ט סע״א …
Our explanationThe passage given speaks of the Infinite Light that encompasses a person from above even when he is only brokenhearted, not yet inwardly transformed.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Beshalach, maamar 2לעיל סב, בpage 62b, ¶12
כו׳ משא״כ תשובה ומע״ט. שע״י נעשה בחי׳ הוי״ה דלעילא כנ״ל.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Bereishis, maamar 5לעיל ה, אpage 5a, ¶1
להיות מקור להתהוות העולמות כי הוי״ה מלשון התהוות כנודע. אך אם היה הארה זו מתגלית ונמשכת להיות חיות לנבראים כמו שהיא בעצמותה לא היו הנבראים כלל על אופן שהם עתה כי לא היה יכול להיות מציאות יש ונפרד כמו שהוא עתה מאחר שאור וחיות המהוה היה מאיר עליו בגילוי אלא היו בבחי׳ ביטול המציאות מכל וכל כמו שהוא קמי׳ ית׳ דכולא כלא חשיבי.
Meaning: Havayah is the revelation and drawing forth of the illumination to be the source for the coming into being of the worlds, for Havayah is from the expression "bringing into being," as is known.
Read it hereKehot’s note
לעיל סב, ב. וראה בהנסמן לעיל ה, א.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 14
On the words
מי אל כמוך גבי לשארית נחלתו
How it connects
“Who is a G‑d like You… for the remnant of His inheritance”: nachalah, inheritance, is linked with nachal, stream.our note
The source
Micah 7:18מיכה ז׳:י״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)17יְלַחֲכוּ עָפָר כַּנָּחָשׁ כְּזֹחֲלֵי אֶרֶץ יִרְגְּזוּ מִמִּסְגְּרֹתֵיהֶם אֶל־ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ יִפְחָדוּ וְיִרְאוּ מִמֶּךָּ: 18מִי־אֵל כָּמוֹךָ נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וְעֹבֵר עַל־פֶּשַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִית נַחֲלָתוֹ לֹא־הֶחֱזִיק לָעַד אַפּוֹ כִּי־חָפֵץ חֶסֶד הוּא: 19יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ יִכְבֹּשׁ עֲוֺנֹתֵינוּ וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם כׇּל־חַטֹּאותָם:
17… shall come with fear unto the LORD our God, And shall be afraid because of Thee. 18Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth the iniquity, And passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, Because He delighteth in mercy. . 19He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; And Thou wilt cast …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 15
How it connects
“A stream would have passed over our soul”: cited for the word nachal as a flow drawn to the souls of Israel.our note
The source
Psalms 124:4תהילים קכ״ד:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)3אֲזַי חַיִּים בְּלָעוּנוּ בַּחֲרוֹת אַפָּם בָּנוּ: 4אֲזַי הַמַּיִם שְׁטָפוּנוּ נַחְלָה עָבַר עַל־נַפְשֵׁנוּ: 5אֲזַי עָבַר עַל־נַפְשֵׁנוּ הַמַּיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים:
3Then they had swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; 4Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul; 5Then the proud waters Had gone over our soul.'
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
- 16
On the words
מה טובו אהליך יעקב גו׳ כנחלים נטיו
How it connects
The words here quote Numbers 24:5; the passage is shown below.
The source
Numbers 24:5במדבר כ״ד:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי־אֵל אֲשֶׁר מַחֲזֵה שַׁ־דַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם: 5מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל: 6כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע ה׳ כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי־מָיִם:
4… words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Fallen down, yet with opened eyes: 5How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy dwellings, O Israel! 6As valleys stretched out, As gardens by the river-side; As aloes planted of the LORD, As …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
במדבר כד, ה-ו.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 17
On the words
מה טובו אוהליך יעקב
How it connects
Balaam’s blessing: “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov… like streams stretched out… like cedars beside the waters.”our note
The source
Numbers 24:5–6במדבר כ״ד:ה׳-ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע ה׳ כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי־מָיִם:
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy dwellings, O Israel! As valleys stretched out, As gardens by the river-side; As aloes planted of the LORD, As cedars beside the waters;
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 18
On the words
ושולח מים ע״פ חוצות
How it connects
He “sends waters upon the open places”: another verse where sending describes divine flow.our note
The source
Job 5:10איוב ה׳:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9עֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת וְאֵין חֵקֶר נִפְלָאוֹת עַד־אֵין מִסְפָּר: 10הַנֹּתֵן מָטָר עַל־פְּנֵי־אָרֶץ וְשֹׁלֵחַ מַיִם עַל־פְּנֵי חוּצוֹת: 11לָשׂוּם שְׁפָלִים לְמָרוֹם וְקֹדְרִים שָׂגְבוּ יֶשַׁע:
9Who doeth great things and unsearchable, Marvellous things without number; 10Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth waters upon the fields; 11So that He setteth up on high those that are low, And those that mourn are …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
איוב ה, י.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 19
On the words
בד״ה ויהי בשלח פרעה
How it connects
The maamar on “when Pharaoh sent the people,” which explains beshalach as the sprouting of shoots and fruit from the sparks raised in the Egyptian exile.our note
Where the note points
The Rebbe’s maamar “ביום השמיני שלח” (5739)ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשל״טA maamar of the Rebbe, 5739
Our explanationA later maamar on this same verse that discusses this reading of “sent.”
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Beshalach, maamar 1תו״א סא, אpage 61a, ¶1
ויהי בשלח פרעה את העם ולא נחם אלהים דרך ארץ פלשתים וגו׳. הנה על ישראל בגלות מצרים כתיב וזרעתיה לי בארץ ואמרז״ל זורע כור מוציא כמה כורים וכו׳ ולהבין ענין הזריעה והתוספת והרבוי שנתהוה מן הגלות. הנה כתיב קדש ישראל לה׳ ראשית תבואתה תבואתו דווקא שישראל נקראו תבואת ה׳ והוא כמו שאדם זורע תבואה ע״ד משל בשביל התוספת שיצמח. כך ברצות ה׳ שיתוסף ויתרבה גילוי אלהותו בעולם וימלא כבוד ה׳ …
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
תו״א סא, א. ראה ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשל״ט ע׳ כו.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 20
On the words
ופרעה הקריב
How it connects
“And Pharaoh drew near”: the Sages read it as Pharaoh drawing Israel near to their Father in heaven.our note
The source
Exodus 14:10שמות י״ד:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9וַיִּרְדְּפוּ מִצְרַיִם אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיַּשִּׂיגוּ אוֹתָם חֹנִים עַל־הַיָּם כׇּל־סוּס רֶכֶב פַּרְעֹה וּפָרָשָׁיו וְחֵילוֹ עַל־פִּי הַחִירֹת לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן: 10וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־ה׳ 11וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה הֲמִבְּלִי אֵין־קְבָרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם לְקַחְתָּנוּ לָמוּת בַּמִּדְבָּר מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לָּנוּ לְהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם:
9… and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. 10And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were sore afraid; and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11And they said unto Moses: ‘Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
שמות יד, י.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 21
On the words
שהקריב את ישראל לאביהם שבשמים
How it connects
The Midrash that Pharaoh, by pursuing them, brought Israel closer to G‑d through their prayer.our note
The source
Shemot Rabbah 21:5שמות רבה כ״א:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)… ונער פרעה וחילו וכן סוסיהם ורוכביהם רמה בים אינו אומר אלא (שמות טו, א): סוס ורוכבו, זה השר שלהן. הוי, והנה מצרים נוסע אחריהם. ומהו ופרעה הקריב? אלא שהקריב את ישראל לתשובה שעשו. אמר רבי ברכיה: יפה היתה הקרבת פרעה לישראל, ממאה צומות ותפלות. למה? שכיון שרדפו אחריהם וראו אותן נתייראו מאד, ותלו עיניהם למרום ועשו תשובה והתפללו, שנאמר (שמות יד, י): ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ה'. אמרו ישראל למשה: מה עשית לנו?! עכשיו הם באים ועושים לנו כל מה שעשינו עמהם, שהרגנו בכוריהם, ונטלנו ממונם, וברחנו! לא אתה אמרת לנו (שם ג, כב): ושאלה אשה משכנתה?! באותה שעה היו עומדים ולא היו יודעים מה לעשות, והיה הים סוגר, והשונא רודף, והחיות מן המדבר, …
That is what is written: “My dove in the cleft of the rock” (Song of Songs 2:14). It should have said “a dove in the cleft of the rock.” Why did it say “my dove?” It is as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: “My dove.” See what is written: “Ephraim is like a foolish dove, with no understanding” (Hosea 7:11). The Holy One blessed be He said: To Me they are like a foolish dove; everything that I decree for them, they do and obey Me. However, towards idolaters, they are as tough as beasts, as it is stated: “Judah is a lion’s whelp” (Genesis 49:9); “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf” (Genesis 49:27); “Dan will be a serpent on the road” (Genesis 49:17); that is why they are …
Hebrew: Daat Shemot Rabbah (Public Domain) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ראה שמו״ר פכ״א, ה. תנחומא בשלח. ח.
בלקח טוב בשלח (יד, י). וע׳ שמו״ר (פכ״א [כ]) שם לי׳ כמ״ש כאן. [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 22
On the words
שהקריב את ישראל לאביהם שבשמים
How it connects
A parallel Midrash on “And Pharaoh drew near,” listed in the Kehot note.our note
The source
Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 8:2–3מדרש תנחומא, בשלח ח׳:ב׳-ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב, הִקְרִיב אֶת הַפֻּרְעָנוּת לָבוֹא עָלָיו, וְהִקְרִיב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִתְשׁוּבָה. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁשָּׁבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲחוֹרֵיהֶם וְחָנוּ לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן, אָמַר פַּרְעֹה: בַּעַל צְפֹן הִסְכִּים עַל גְּזֵרָתִי לְאַבְּדָם בַּמַּיִם. הִתְחִיל לְזַבֵּחַ לְקַטֵּר וּלְנַסֵּךְ לַעֲבוֹדָהַ זָרָה. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב.
When Pharaoh drew nigh (ibid. 14:10); that is, when he drew nigh to the retribution that was to befall him and (when) he drew Israel nigh to repentance. When they saw that Israel had turned back and had encamped near Baal-Saphon and Pi-Hahiroth, Pharaoh declared: “Baal-Saphon concurs in my decision to destroy them in the water.” Thereupon he began to offer sacrifices, to burn incense, and to pour libations before the idols. Hence it is said: When Pharaoh drew nigh.
Hebrew: Midrash Tanchuma -- Torat Emet (Public Domain) · English: Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 23
On the words
בשלח פרעה את העם
How it connects
“When Pharaoh sent the people”: the maamar in Torah Ohr reads “sent” as the growth of shoots from the refined sparks.our note
The source
Exodus 13:17שמות י״ג:י״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)16וְהָיָה לְאוֹת עַל־יָדְכָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ כִּי בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ Havayah מִמִּצְרָיִם: 17וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת־הָעָם וְלֹא־נָחָם אֱלֹקִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹקִים פֶּן־יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָיְמָה: 18וַיַּסֵּב אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הָעָם דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר יַם־סוּף וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:
16… between your eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.’ 17And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said: 'Lest the people regret when they see war, and they return to Egypt.’ 18But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
שמות יג, יז.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
10ומבואר במ״א שבצמיחה זו שהוא מעשה המצות שהוא בחי׳ מצמיח ישועות יש ב׳ בחי׳ העלאה והמשכה
And it is explained elsewhere that in this growth, which is the performance of the mitzvos, the level of “He makes salvations sprout,” there are two aspects: elevation and drawing down.
The growth produced by mitzvos, called “He makes salvations sprout,” has two movements: raising up from below, and drawing down from above.
דהיינו מה שנתעלו ניצוצי אלקות משבירת הכלים ע״י בירור ק״נ דהיינו צמר דציצית וקלף דתפילין ונקרא העלאת מ״נ.
That is: the elevation of the sparks of G‑dliness from the shattering of the vessels through the refinement of kelipas nogah — namely, the wool of tzitzis and the parchment of tefillin — and this is called the raising of mayin nukvin (feminine waters).
The raising up happens when a mitzvah uses a physical object from kelipas nogah, the neutral realm that can be elevated, such as the wool of tzitzis or the parchment of tefillin. The divine spark in it is lifted, and this is called “raising feminine waters,” the Kabbalistic term for an ascent initiated from below.
הב׳ מה שעי״ז נמשך גילוי אור א״ס מלמעלה למטה מבחי׳ תר״ך עמודי אור12 וזהו ענין לבוש מלכות וכתר מלכות שבפסוק יביאו לבוש מלכות3 כמ״ש במ״א.
The second is that through this a revelation of the Infinite Light is drawn from above to below, from the level of the 620 pillars of light; and this is the matter of “the royal garment” and “the royal crown” in the verse “Let them bring the royal garment,” as explained elsewhere.
In response, the Infinite Light is drawn down from above through the “620 pillars of light,” a level of Keser whose number equals the 613 mitzvos of the Torah and the 7 of the Sages. This is symbolized by the “royal garment” and “royal crown” of the Megillah.
The paragraph explains that every mitzvah has two movements: the elevation of the divine sparks in the physical objects it uses, and the drawing down, in response, of the Infinite Light from the level of the royal crown.
The Kehot note sends the reader to the Pardes on the “620 pillars of light.” The pairing of elevation and drawing down echoes the ratzo and shov of the earlier sections.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
תר״ך עמודי אור
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
פרדס ש״ח, פ״ג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 2
On the words
תר״ך עמודי אור
How it connects
Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s Pardes Rimonim discusses the 620 pillars of light, listed in the Kehot note.our note
The source
Pardes Rimmonim 8:5–6פרדס רמונים ח׳:ה׳-ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)… ונ"ל כי נכנסו בזה בראותם כי גדולה קודמת לגבורה והוא החסד והלובן ואחר הגדולה נאצלה הגבורה והיא דין ואודם ואחר כך נאצל תפארת העומד בין שניהם להכריע בין האודם והלובן והוא גוון אודם ולובן מעורב. ר"ל כי כענין ג' אלה כן דרך שלשה הראשונות כי ג' הראשונות הם שרשים וג' אבות ענפים להם ומן הענפים נדון להשרשים. ולכן אמרו שהכתר הראשון לאצילות הוא הזקן והלבן ולכן נקרא עתיק יומין שהוא כח הלובן והוא כנגד הגדולה והנמשך אחריו שהוא החכמה הוא כנגד הגבורה והיא אדומה. כי כמו שאחר הלובן חסד נאצל האודם גבורה כן אחר הלובן כתר נאצל האודם חכמה. וכמו שאחר הגדולה והגבורה שהם הקצוות נאצל המכריע המתמצע בין שתיהם, כן בין הכתר והחכמה הבינה …
Hebrew: Pardes Rimonim (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
יביאו לבוש מלכות
How it connects
“Let them bring the royal garment… and the royal crown”: the Alter Rebbe uses these as images for the light drawn down through the mitzvos.our note
The source
Esther 6:8אסתר ו׳:ח׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)7וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ: 8יָבִיאוּ לְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת אֲשֶׁר לָבַשׁ־בּוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְסוּס אֲשֶׁר רָכַב עָלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲשֶׁר נִתַּן כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת בְּרֹאשׁוֹ: 9וְנָתוֹן הַלְּבוּשׁ וְהַסּוּס עַל־יַד־אִישׁ מִשָּׂרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַפַּרְתְּמִים וְהִלְבִּישׁוּ אֶת־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ וְהִרְכִּיבֻהוּ עַל־הַסּוּס בִּרְחוֹב …
7And Haman said unto the king: ‘For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, 8let royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and on whose head a crown royal is set; 9and let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
אסתר ו, ח.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
11והנה על בחי׳ בירור הניצוצים משבה״כ נאמר בשלח פרעה את העם כנ״ל. אך על ההמשכה מלמעלה למטה מבחי׳ כתר מלכות נאמר ביום השמיני שלח את העם כו׳.
Now, of the level of the refinement of the sparks from the shattering of the vessels it is said, “when Pharaoh sent the people,” as said above. But of the drawing down from above to below, from the level of “the royal crown,” it is said, “On the eighth day he sent the people away,” etc.
The two movements correspond to two verses: the raising of the sparks is “when Pharaoh sent the people,” and the drawing down from the royal crown is “On the eighth day he sent the people away.”
וזהו ביום השמיני דייקא שלח את העם. שהכח להיות המשכה זו מלמעלה מעלה גם למטה מטה נמשך ממקום עליון כנודע מענין המגביהי לשבת המשפילי לראות12 כו׳.
This is why it is specifically “on the eighth day” that “he sent the people away”: for the power for this drawing down, from the highest heights also to the lowest depths, is drawn from a supernal place, as is known from the matter of “Who is enthroned on high, who looks down low,” etc.
The drawing down must come from a very high place, because only what is highest can reach the lowest. As the verse says, the One “enthroned on high” is the one who “looks down low.”
והיינו מבחי׳ ביום השמיני שהוא בחי׳ שלמעלה משבע מדות עליונות וע״ד מ״ש בזהר פ׳ ויחי (דרמ״ו ע״ב) ע״פ נפתלי אילה שלוחה3 כו׳
That is, from the level of “on the eighth day,” which is the level that is above the seven supernal attributes; and along the lines of what is said in the Zohar, Parshas Vayechi (folio 246b), on the verse “Naftali is a hind let loose,” etc.:
“The eighth day” is above the seven supernal attributes, the seven emotive Sefiros that parallel the seven days of the week. The Zohar’s comment on Naftali, “a hind let loose (sheluchah),” uses the same root as “sent” (shalach).
וההוא קול אשתלח מאתר עמיקא דלעילא כו׳ שהוא בחינת בינה אשר בבינה הוא התגלות עתיק4 וזהו ג״כ ענין ביום השמיני שלח כו׳.
“And that voice is sent forth from the deep place above,” etc., which is the level of Binah, for in Binah there is the revelation of Atik; and this too is the matter of “On the eighth day he sent,” etc.
The Zohar says the “voice” is sent from “the deep place above,” which is Binah; in Binah, Atik, the innermost level of Keser, is revealed. So the eighth day, above the seven, is the source of this sending.
ובמ״א נתבאר דבחי׳ ביום השמיני זהו בחי׳ מלך השמיני הדר5 שהוא המתקן מבחי׳ תהו להיות בחי׳ תיקון כו׳
Elsewhere it is explained that the level of “on the eighth day” is the level of the eighth king, Hadar, who is the one who rectifies, [bringing] from the level of Tohu to become the level of Tikkun, etc.
Elsewhere the eighth day is linked to Hadar, the eighth of the kings of Edom listed in Genesis. In Kabbalah the first seven kings, who “died,” represent Tohu (chaos), and Hadar represents the beginning of Tikkun (rectification).
ועמ״ש על פ׳ למנצח על השמינית6 גבי מילה שניתנה בשמיני דייקא אשר כ״ז הוא מקום עליון מאד שמשם נמשך בחי׳ שילוח זה דשלח את העם
And see what is explained on the verse “For the conductor, on the Sheminis,” regarding circumcision, which was given specifically on the eighth [day]. All this is a very high place, from which this level of sending, “he sent the people away,” is drawn;
Similarly, the psalm “on the Sheminis” (the eighth) is read by the Sages as referring to circumcision on the eighth day. All these “eighths” point to a very high source from which the sending of the people is drawn.
דהיינו אחר בחי׳ למען הקים אותך היום לו לעם7 שבר״ה ויוהכ״פ בבחי׳ רצוא יהי׳ נ משך בח י׳ זו ג״כ בבחי׳ שוב לאחד והיינו ביום השמיני דוקא.8
that is, after the level of “in order to establish you today as a people to Him,” which on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur was in the mode of ratzo, this level will be drawn down also in the mode of “return to the One”; and this is specifically “on the eighth day.”
On Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur Israel became G‑d’s “people” in the mode of ratzo; on the eighth day, Shemini Atzeres, this is drawn down into shov, the stable “return to the One” that carries into the year.
The paragraph explains why the drawing down of the royal crown happens specifically “on the eighth day”: the number eight signifies a level above the seven attributes, a source high enough to reach the lowest place, so that what was reached in ratzo during the Days of Awe is drawn into the shov of daily life.
The Kehot note points to the Zohar and to the beginning of Lech Lecha in Torah Ohr on the revelation of Atik in Binah. The eighth king Hadar, circumcision on the eighth day, and Shemini Atzeres all express the same principle: a level beyond the natural “seven” that brings Tikkun and lasting connection.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
המגביהי לשבת המשפילי לראות
How it connects
The words here quote Psalms 113:5; the passage is shown below.
The source
Psalms 113:5תהילים קי״ג:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4רָם עַל־כׇּל־גּוֹיִם ה׳ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם כְּבוֹדוֹ: 5מִי כַּה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת: 6הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי לִרְאוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ:
4The LORD is high above all nations, His glory is above the heavens. 5Who is like unto the LORD our God, That is enthroned on high, 6That looketh down low Upon heaven and upon the earth?
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים קיג, ה-ו.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 2
On the words
המגביהי לשבת המשפילי לראות
How it connects
G‑d, who is enthroned on high, looks down low: the highest source is what reaches the lowest.our note
The source
Psalms 113:5–6תהילים קי״ג:ה׳-ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)מִי כַּה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת: הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי לִרְאוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ:
Who is like unto the LORD our God, That is enthroned on high, That looketh down low Upon heaven and upon the earth?
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
נפתלי אילה שלוחה
How it connects
Yaakov’s blessing of Naftali, “a hind let loose”; the word sheluchah shares the root of “sent.”our note
The source
Genesis 49:21בראשית מ״ט:כ״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)20מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַעֲדַנֵּי־מֶלֶךְ: 21נַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלֻחָה הַנֹּתֵן אִמְרֵי־שָׁפֶר: 22בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי־עָיִן בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי־שׁוּר:
20As for Asher, his bread shall be fat, And he shall yield royal dainties. 21Naphtali is a hind let loose: He giveth goodly words. 22Joseph is a fruitful vine, A fruitful vine by a fountain; Its branches run over the wall. .
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
בבינה הוא התגלות עתיק
How it connects
The Kehot note refers to this Zohar passage for the revelation of Atik in Binah.our note
The source
Zohar III, 178bזח״ג קעח, בSefaria (opens in a new tab)Where the note points
Torah Ohrתורה אורbeginning of Lech Lecha · not yet checked
Our explanationA maamar in Torah Ohr that the note gives for the revelation of Atik in Binah, the high source of the “sending” on the eighth day.
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה זח״ג קעח, ב. תו״א ר״פ לך לך.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 5
On the words
מלך השמיני הדר
How it connects
Hadar, the eighth king listed among the kings of Edom, the only one whose wife is named and whose death is not recorded; in Kabbalah he represents Tikkun.our note
The source
Genesis 36:39בראשית ל״ו:ל״טSefaria (opens in a new tab)38וַיָּמׇת שָׁאוּל וַיִּמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו בַּעַל חָנָן בֶּן־עַכְבּוֹר: 39וַיָּמׇת בַּעַל חָנָן בֶּן־עַכְבּוֹר וַיִּמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו הֲדַר וְשֵׁם עִירוֹ פָּעוּ וְשֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ מְהֵיטַבְאֵל בַּת־מַטְרֵד בַּת מֵי זָהָב: 40וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת אַלּוּפֵי עֵשָׂו לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִמְקֹמֹתָם בִּשְׁמֹתָם אַלּוּף תִּמְנָע אַלּוּף עַלְוָה אַלּוּף יְתֵת:
38And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. 39And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead; and the name of the city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab. 40And these are the names of the chiefs that came of Esau, according to their families, …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ראה בראשית לו, לט.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 6
On the words
ע״פ למנצח על השמינית
How it connects
The maamar asks why David sang specifically about circumcision being given on the eighth day, and why circumcision on the eighth day overrides even Shabbos.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהTazria 20d ff.
למנצח על השמינית על מילה שניתנה בשמיני. שבמרחץ ראה א״ע ערום כו׳. כיון שנזכר במילה נתיישבה דעתו כו׳ כדאיתא במנחות דף מ״ג ע״ב. וכן הוא ג״כ בירושלמי סוף מסכת ברכות. וצריך להבין למה היתה השירה על שניתנה בשמיני דוקא. אך הנה כתיב וביום השמיני ימול כו׳ ואפילו בשבת שמילה דוחה שבת. ולהבין יתרון ומעלה שיש במילה שהיא ביום השמיני לדחות מעלת ומדרגת קדושת השבת, צריך להקדים ענין השבת כי בו שבת כו׳. ושורש הדברים הוא כי הנה כל המלאכות שבימות החול ל״ט מלאכות החורש והזורע כו׳ הם בחי׳ תיקון ובירור להעלות מכח הצומח אשר בארץ להצמיח כל מאכל אשר יאכל האדם וחי בהם כי הוא יברך על המאכל בתחלה ובסוף וממשיך בו קדושה וגם אח״כ כשמקבל חיות מזה המאכל נכלל חיות המאכל בחיות האדם ומתחזק כחו ושכלו ובכח ושכל זה …
Our explanationIt explains that the eighth day draws on a level higher than the holiness of the seventh, the Shabbos, which is the point the text makes here about the “eighth day.”
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Toldos, maamar 5לעיל תזריע כ, דpage 20d, ¶8
אבל להמשכ׳ מ״ד של מקיף צ״ל העלאת מ״ן ג״כ בבחי׳ מקיף.
Now, to draw down mayin duchrin (masculine waters) of the inner [level], a raising of mayin nukvin at the inner level suffices; but to draw down mayin duchrin of the encompassing [level], there must be a raising of mayin nukvin at the encompassing level as well.
Read it hereKehot’s note
לעיל תזריע כ, ד ואילך.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 7
On the words
למען הקים אותך היום לו לעם
How it connects
“To establish you today as a people to Him”: Israel’s becoming G‑d’s people, accomplished during the Days of Awe.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 29:12דברים כ״ט:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11לְעׇבְרְךָ בִּבְרִית ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ וּבְאָלָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ כֹּרֵת עִמְּךָ הַיּוֹם: 12לְמַעַן הָקִים־אֹתְךָ הַיּוֹם לוֹ לְעָם וְהוּא יִהְיֶה־לְּךָ לֵאלֹקִים כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר־לָךְ וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב: 13וְלֹא אִתְּכֶם לְבַדְּכֶם אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת אֶת־הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת וְאֶת־הָאָלָה הַזֹּאת:
11… the LORD thy God—and into His oath—which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day; 12that He may establish thee this day unto Himself for a people, and that He may be unto thee a God, as He spoke unto thee, and as He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 13Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath;
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דברים כט, יב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 8
How it connects
Kehot’s note points to Zohar, Vayechi 73:759 for these words.
The source
Zohar, Vayechi 73:759ספר הזהר, ויחי ע״ג:תשנ״טSefaria (opens in a new tab)
Blessing, tents and joy ¶12–13
12והנה עם היות שרצוא הוא בחי׳ גבוה מאד עכ״ז תכלית הבריאה להיות לו ידרה בתחתונים שיהיה הגילוי למטה וזהו בחי׳ שוב.
Now, although ratzo is a very high level, nevertheless the purpose of creation is that He have a dwelling place among the lower realms, that the revelation be below; and this is the level of shov.
Ratzo is a very high level, yet creation’s purpose is that G‑d have a “dwelling in the lower realms,” revealed here below. That is achieved through shov, the return into life with Torah and mitzvos, which is why Shemini Atzeres, the festival of shov, is the culmination.
ועמ״ש בד״ה שובה ישראל עד בפי׳ הפסוק כי עמך הסליחה למען תורא1 ומ״ש במ״א ע״פ מאמר הזח״ג אמור (ד״ק ע״ב)2 בענין בת אבי היא3
See what is explained in the maamar beginning “Return, O Israel, unto,” on the meaning of the verse “For with You is forgiveness, that You may be feared”; and what is explained elsewhere on the statement of Zohar III, Emor (folio 100b), on the matter of “she is the daughter of my father,”
The Alter Rebbe refers to other maamarim. One explains “with You is forgiveness, that You may be feared”; another explains the Zohar’s reading of Avraham’s words about Sarah, “she is the daughter of my father,”
אך לא בת אמי כי יוהכ״פ זהו מבחי׳ תבא אם ותקנח כו׳ ובשמע״צ נקרא כנס״י בת אבי כו׳
“but not the daughter of my mother.” For Yom Kippur is from the level of “Let the mother come and wipe away,” etc., while on Shemini Atzeres Knesses Yisrael is called “the daughter of my father,” etc.
“but not the daughter of my mother.” In Kabbalah “mother” is Binah, the source of teshuvah and atonement, so Yom Kippur is when “the mother comes and wipes away” sin. On Shemini Atzeres, Knesses Yisrael is called “the daughter of my father,” connected with Chochmah, the “father.”
ועמש״ל מענין ביום השמיני גבי מאת הוי׳ היתה זאת היא נפלאת בעינינו4 ועמ״ש במ״א בענין שמיני למילואים
And see what is explained above on the matter of “on the eighth day,” regarding “This was from Havayah; it is wondrous in our eyes”; and see what is explained elsewhere on the matter of “the eighth [day] of the inauguration.”
This connects with the earlier explanation of “This was from G‑d”: supernal Chochmah, which shone from afar, now shines close. “The eighth day of the inauguration” of the Mishkan is mentioned as a parallel “eighth.”
והנה (בד״ה ב׳ סי׳ ז׳) כתיב וביום עשרים ושלשה לחדש השביעי שלח את העם5 י״ל רמז ליו״ט6 ב׳ של גליות ועמ״ש לקמן מענין יו״ט ב׳ של גליות ואזי ויברכו את המלך להמשיך בחי׳ מלכותו ית׳.
Now, (in Divrei HaYamim II, chapter 7) it is written, “And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away.” This may be explained as an allusion to the second festival day of the Diaspora; and see what is explained below on the matter of the second festival day of the Diaspora. And then, “they blessed the king”: to draw down the level of His kingship, may He be blessed.
The account in Chronicles dates the sending away of the people to the twenty-third of Tishrei, which is the Diaspora’s second day of Shemini Atzeres (Simchas Torah). Then “they blessed the king,” drawing G‑d’s kingship down into the world.
והיינו ע״י עסק התורה באתדבקות רוחא ברוחא בחי׳ ישקני מנשיקות פיהו7 וגו׳ ואזי ואשים דברי בפיך8 כו׳ מתניתא מלכתא9 כו׳ כמ״ש במ״א.
That is, through the study of Torah, with the cleaving of spirit to spirit, the level of “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,” etc.; and then, “I have put My words in your mouth,” etc.; “the Mishnah is the queen,” etc., as explained elsewhere.
This is done through Torah study, in which the learner’s spirit cleaves to G‑d’s spirit, as in a “kiss” of the mouth. G‑d puts His words in our mouth, and the Mishnah, the Oral Torah, is called “queen,” the expression of divine kingship.
וארז״ל אל תקרא בניך אלא בוניך10 שעוסקים בבנינו של עולם (עמ״ש מזה בד״ה וכל בניך למודי)1112 פירוש בנינו של עולם הוא בחי׳ מלכותו ית׳
And our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Do not read ‘your children’ but ‘your builders,’” for they are occupied with the building of the world (see what is explained on this in the maamar beginning “And all your children shall be taught”). The meaning of “the building of the world” is the level of His kingship, may He be blessed,
The Sages read “your children” as “your builders”: Torah scholars “build the world.” That building is the establishment of G‑d’s kingship,
כי מלכותך מלכות כל עולמים כתיב ותורה שבעל פה קרינן לה1314 שנבנית מתורה שבכתב שמאות אחת מתורה שבכתב נמשך פרק אחד בתורה שבעל פה38
for it is written, “Your kingship is the kingship of all worlds,” and “we call it the Oral Torah,” for it is built from the Written Torah: from a single letter of the Written Torah an entire chapter of the Oral Torah is drawn;
because kingship, Malchus, is identified with the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah is “built” from the Written Torah, expanding a single letter into a whole chapter,
וכמו למשל מאות ו׳ וכי ישאל15 וי״ו מוסיף על ענין ראשון נעשה פרק השואל16 שע״י תורה שבעל פה הוא התגלות מלכותו ית׳ בבחי׳ גילוי.
as, for example, from the letter vav of “And if [a person] borrows” — [since] a vav adds to the preceding subject — the chapter HaSho’el was made. For through the Oral Torah there is the revelation of His kingship, may He be blessed, in a state of revelation.
as the Talmud derives an entire chapter on borrowing (HaSho’el) from the single letter vav that opens “And if a person borrows.” So the Oral Torah reveals G‑d’s kingship openly in the world.
וזהו ויברכו את המלך בחינת ברכה והמשכה בגילוי רב ואותה אנו מבקשים גלה כבוד מלכותך17
And this is “and they blessed the king”: the level of blessing and drawing down in great revelation. And this is what we request: “Reveal the glory of Your kingship”
“They blessed the king”: berachah, blessing, means drawing down, here the open revelation of G‑d’s kingship. This is the request of the festival prayer, “Reveal the glory of Your kingship.”
(ועמ״ש במ״א בענין חיי שרה מאה שנה18 שהם מאה ברכות כו׳ ומ״ש בד״ה האזינו השמים בענין והאופנים כו׳ ואומרים ברוך כבוד19 ה׳ ממקומו.
(see what is explained elsewhere on the matter of “The life of Sarah was a hundred years,” which are the hundred blessings, etc.; and what is explained in the maamar beginning “Give ear, O heavens,” on the matter of “And the ofanim,” etc., who say, “Blessed be the glory of G‑d from its place”;
A parenthesis (through part 12) lists maamarim on blessing as drawing down: the hundred daily blessings alluded to in Sarah’s hundred years, and the ofanim, angels who say “Blessed be the glory of G‑d from its place.”
וסד״ה ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה20 ובד״ה אני הוי׳ אלקיכם אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים בענין יהא שמיה רבא מברך ובד״ה ועתה יגדל נא כח אד׳)21
and at the end of the maamar beginning “See, I set before you this day a blessing”; and in the maamar beginning “I am Havayah your G‑d who brought you out of the land of Egypt,” on the matter of “May His great Name be blessed”; and in the maamar beginning “And now, let the power of Ado-nai be great”)
The list continues with maamarim on “See, I set before you a blessing,” on the response “May His great Name be blessed,” and on Moshe’s prayer “let the power of Ado-nai be great,” all of which discuss drawing G‑d’s kingship into revelation.
והופע בהדר גאון עוזך. והופע לשון זריחה והארה בהתגלות כמ״ש הופיע מהר פארן וזרח משעיר וגו׳.22
“and appear in the splendor of the majesty of Your might.” “Appear” is an expression of shining forth and radiance in revelation, as it is written, “He appeared from Mount Paran, and shone forth from Seir,” etc.
The prayer continues, “appear in the splendor of the majesty of Your might.” “Appear” (hofa) means shining forth openly, as when G‑d “appeared from Mount Paran” at the giving of the Torah.
וזהו וילכו לאהליהם שהמשיכו בחי׳ מלכותו ית׳ לעשות לו אהל ומשכן ודירה בתחתונים בחי׳ כלים וכו׳
And this is “and they went to their tents”: they drew down the level of His kingship, may He be blessed, to make for Him a tent and a tabernacle and a dwelling place among the lower realms, the level of vessels, etc.
“They went to their tents”: they drew G‑d’s kingship down into a “tent,” a dwelling for Him below. The tent is the vessel, meaning Torah and mitzvos, which holds the light.
(ועמ״ש מענין אהל בד״ה במדבר סיני23 באהל מועד24 וע״פ מה טובו אוהליך יעקב25 כו׳) וע״י זה נעשים שמחים וטובי לב.26
(See what is explained on the matter of “tent” in the maamar beginning “In the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting,” and on the verse “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov,” etc.) And through this they become “joyful and glad of heart.”
References to maamarim on the Tent of Meeting and on Yaakov’s tents. Through making G‑d a dwelling, the people became “joyful and glad of heart.”
פי׳ שמחים בבחי׳ אהבה שלמעלה מן הטעם ודעת וכמ״ש אז תשמח בבחי׳ אז שהוא בבחי׳ קדם
This means: “joyful” in the level of love that is above reason and knowledge, as it is written, “Then (az) shall [the maiden] rejoice” — in the level of az, which is the level of “before” (kedem).
“Joyful” refers to the love above reason, the hidden love of the soul’s kedem. The word az (“then”) in “then shall the maiden rejoice” is read as pointing to that primordial level, “before.”
(עמ״ש בד״ה ראה אנכי הנ״ל גבי פי׳ לאיתן האזרחי27 וע׳ במדרש רבה בשלח) (ר״פ כ״ג) ע״פ נכון כסאך מאז2829 ובזח״ב (בשלח נ״ד ב׳)3031
(See what is explained in the maamar beginning “See, I [set],” mentioned above, regarding the meaning of “of Eisan the Ezrachite”; and see Midrash Rabbah, Beshalach) (the beginning of chapter 23), on the verse “Your throne is established from then”; and Zohar II (Beshalach, folio 54b),
The parenthesis cites places where az is linked to the level of kedem: the psalm of Eisan the Ezrachite, the Midrash on “Your throne is established from then (me’az),” and the Zohar on the Song at the Sea.
ע״פ אז ישיר32 וטובי לב שתהיה בגילוי אהבה זו שמבחי׳ פנימיות נקודת הלב בבחי׳ אור ולא בבחינת חשך וכמ״ש וירא אלה ים את האור
on the verse “Then (az) [Moshe] sang.” And “glad of heart”: that this love, which is from the level of the inner point of the heart, be in revelation, in the level of light and not in the level of darkness, as it is written, “And G‑d saw the light,
The Song at the Sea begins “Then (az) Moshe sang.” “Glad of heart” (tovei lev) means that the hidden love of the inner heart comes into open revelation, “light” rather than “darkness,” as in “G‑d saw the light,
that it was good.” (And see the Midrash Ruth Rabbah on the verse “and his heart was merry”; and see what is explained in the maamar beginning “The matter of Chanukah,” on the matter of “when he trims the lamps.”)
that it was good (tov).” The word tov links “glad of heart” to this revealed light. The Midrash on Boaz’s merry heart and the maamar on trimming (heitiv) the Menorah’s lamps are cited for the same word.
“For all the goodness that G‑d had done for David His servant” — that is, the level of His kingship, may He be blessed — “and for Israel His people,” who are “your children,” “your builders,” etc.,
The verse ends: the people rejoiced “for all the goodness G‑d had done for David His servant and for Israel His people.” David stands for G‑d’s kingship, and Israel for the “children” who are also “builders” of that kingship.
כנ״ל והמשכיל על סדר עבודה זו יראה שיש בה ריחוק וקירוב וריחוק שצריך לעורר תמיד בחי׳ רצוא ולא די להיות בבחי׳ שוב לבד וגם בבחי׳ רצוא אי אפשר להתקיים כנ״ל.39
as said above. And one who reflects on this order of service will see that there is in it distance and nearness, and distance: for one must always arouse the level of ratzo, and it is not enough to be in the level of shov alone; and yet in the level of ratzo, too, it is impossible to remain, as said above.
The Alter Rebbe sums up the pattern: distance, nearness, and distance again. One must keep renewing ratzo, since shov alone grows cold, yet one cannot remain in ratzo either.
Although ratzo is higher, the purpose of creation is shov: drawing G‑d’s kingship down into a dwelling below. The paragraph reads the rest of the opening verse accordingly: “they blessed the king” is drawing down His kingship through the Oral Torah, “they went to their tents” is making Him a dwelling, and “joyful and glad of heart” is the hidden love revealed as light, all within a continuing rhythm of distance and nearness.
The pairing of Yom Kippur with the “mother” (Binah) and Shemini Atzeres with the “father” (Chochmah) matches the earlier teaching that on Shemini Atzeres supernal Chochmah shines close. A Kehot note, citing a maamar of 5741, adds that “Israel His people” includes both “your children” and “your builders.”
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
כי עמך הסליחה למען תורא
How it connects
“With You is forgiveness, that You may be feared,” discussed in the maamar on “Return, O Israel.”our note
The source
Psalms 130:4תהילים ק״ל:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)3אִם־עֲוֺנוֹת תִּשְׁמׇר־קָהּ אֲדֹ־נָי מִי יַעֲמֹד: 4כִּי־עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵא: 5קִוִּיתִי ה׳ קִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי וְלִדְבָרוֹ הוֹחָלְתִּי:
3If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4For with Thee there is forgiveness, that Thou mayest be feared. 5I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 2
On the words
מאמר הזח״ג אמור (ד״ק ע״ב)
How it connects
The Zohar in Emor on “she is the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother,” cited by the text.our note
The source
Zohar, Emor 38:202–40:226ספר הזהר, אמור ל״ח:ר״ב-מ׳:רכ״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
בת אבי היא
How it connects
Avraham’s words about Sarah: “She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother.” The Zohar applies them to Knesses Yisrael.our note
The source
Genesis 20:12בראשית כ׳:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם כִּי אָמַרְתִּי רַק אֵין־יִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וַהֲרָגוּנִי עַל־דְּבַר אִשְׁתִּי: 12וְגַם־אׇמְנָה אֲחֹתִי בַת־אָבִי הִוא אַךְ לֹא בַת־אִמִּי וַתְּהִי־לִי לְאִשָּׁה: 13וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְעוּ אֹתִי אֱלֹקִים מִבֵּית אָבִי וָאֹמַר לָהּ זֶה חַסְדֵּךְ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשִׂי עִמָּדִי אֶל כׇּל־הַמָּקוֹם …
11… of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. 12And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and so she became my wife. 13And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
מאת הוי׳ היתה זאת היא נפלאת בעינינו
How it connects
“This was from G‑d; it is wondrous in our eyes,” explained earlier in Likkutei Torah in connection with the eighth day.our note
The source
Psalms 118:23תהילים קי״ח:כ״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)22אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה: 23מֵאֵת ה׳ הָיְתָה זֹּאת הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ: 24זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה׳ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ:
22The stone which the builders rejected Is become the chief corner-stone. 23This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 5
On the words
וביום עשרים ושלשה לחדש השביעי שלח את העם
How it connects
Chronicles dates the sending away of the people to the twenty-third of Tishrei, which the Alter Rebbe reads as an allusion to the Diaspora’s second day of the festival.our note
The source
II Chronicles 7:10דברי הימים ב ז׳:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצָרֶת כִּי חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ עָשׂוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְהֶחָג שִׁבְעַת יָמִים: 10וּבְיוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי שִׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָם לְאׇהֳלֵיהֶם שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב עַל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְדָוִיד וְלִשְׁלֹמֹה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ: 11וַיְכַל שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־בֵּית ה׳ וְאֶת־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵת כׇּל־הַבָּא עַל־לֵב שְׁלֹמֹה לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּבֵית־ה׳ וּבְבֵיתוֹ הִצְלִיחַ:
9… assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. 10And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away unto their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people. 11Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house; and all that came …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 6
On the words
וביום עשרים ושלשה — רמז ליו״ט של גליות
How it connects
According to the note, this maamar explains why the allusion to the Diaspora’s second day of Shemini Atzeres comes specifically in the words “he sent the people away.”our note
Where the note points
Maamar beginning “Bayom HaShemini Shalach,” 5741, of the Rebbe, in Sefer HaMaamarim Melukatד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשמ״א (ספר המאמרים מלוקט)Sefer HaMaamarim Melukat, vol. 2
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח — תשמ״א (סה״מ מלוקט ח״ב) בביאור מדוע הרמז ליו״ט שני דשמע״צ הוא בהענין דשלח את העם דוקא.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 7
On the words
ישקני מנשיקות פיהו
How it connects
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth”: the cleaving of spirit to spirit in Torah study.our note
The source
Song of Songs 1:2שיר השירים א׳:ב׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה: 2יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ כִּי־טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן: 3לְרֵיחַ שְׁמָנֶיךָ טוֹבִים שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ עַל־כֵּן עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ:
1THE song of songs, which is Solomon’s. 2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— For thy love is better than wine. 3Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is as ointment poured forth; Therefore do the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
שה״ש א, ב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 8
On the words
ואשים דברי בפיך
How it connects
“I have put My words in your mouth”: G‑d’s words become the words of the one who studies Torah.our note
The source
Isaiah 51:16ישעיהו נ״א:ט״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)15וְאָנֹכִי ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ רֹגַע הַיָּם וַיֶּהֱמוּ גַּלָּיו ה׳ צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ: 16וָאָשִׂם דְּבָרַי בְּפִיךָ וּבְצֵל יָדִי כִּסִּיתִיךָ לִנְטֹעַ שָׁמַיִם וְלִיסֹד אָרֶץ וְלֵאמֹר לְצִיּוֹן עַמִּי־אָתָּה: 17הִתְעוֹרְרִי הִתְעוֹרְרִי קוּמִי יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם אֲשֶׁר שָׁתִית מִיַּד ה׳ אֶת־כּוֹס חֲמָתוֹ אֶת־קֻבַּעַת כּוֹס הַתַּרְעֵלָה שָׁתִית מָצִית:
15… stirreth up the sea, that the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is His name. 16And I have put My words in thy mouth, And have covered thee in the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, And lay the foundations of the earth, And say unto Zion: ‘Thou art My people.’ 17Awake, awake, Stand up, O Jerusalem, That hast drunk at the hand of the LORD The …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ישעי׳ נא, טז.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 9
On the words
מתניתא מלכתא
How it connects
The Talmudic saying calling the Mishnah “queen,” listed in the Kehot note.our note
The source
Beitzah 28b:14–15ביצה כ״ח ב:י״ד-ט״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)רַב פָּפָּא אָמַר: מַתְנִיתִין וּמַתְנִיתָא — רַב מַלְכִּיָּא. שְׁמַעְתָּתָא — רַב מַלְכִּיּוֹ. וְסִימָנָיךְ: מַתְנִיתִין מַלְכְּתָא. מַאי בֵּינַיְיהוּ? אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ שְׁפָחוֹת. מַתְנִי׳ לֹא יֹאמַר אָדָם לַטַּבָּח: שְׁקוֹל לִי בְּדִינָר בָּשָׂר, אֲבָל שׁוֹחֵט וּמְחַלֵּק בֵּינֵיהֶם.
Hebrew: William Davidson, Vocalized Aramaic (CC-BY-NC) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ביצה כח, ב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 10
On the words
א״ת בניך אלא בוניך
How it connects
The Sages’ teaching that Torah scholars increase peace in the world, reading “your children” as “your builders.”our note
The source
Berakhot 64a:14ברכות ס״ד א:י״דSefaria (opens in a new tab)אַל תִּקְרֵי ״בָּנָיִךְ״ אֶלָּא ״בּוֹנָיִךְ״. ״שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֵין לָמוֹ מִכְשׁוֹל״. ״יְהִי שָׁלוֹם בְּחֵילֵךְ שַׁלְוָה בְּאַרְמְנוֹתָיִךְ״. ״לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ. לְמַעַן בֵּית ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ אֲבַקְשָׁה טוֹב לָךְ״. ״ה׳ עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן ה׳ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם״.
"Great peace have they that love Thy law; and there is no stumbling for them" (Ps. cxix. 165). "Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces" (ibid, cxxii. 7). "For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee" (ibid. v. 8). "For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good" (ibid. v. 9). "The Lord will give strength unto His people ; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (ibid. xxix. 11)[2]
Hebrew: William Davidson, Vocalized Aramaic (CC-BY-NC) · English: Tractate Berakot by A. Cohen, Cambridge University Press, 1921 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
ברכות סד, א. וש״נ.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 11
On the words
בד״ה וכל בניך למודי
How it connects
The maamar on “All your children shall be taught by G‑d” discusses the Sages’ reading “not ‘your children’ but ‘your builders,’” gathers its sources in the Talmud, Midrash and Zohar, and asks why the Sages needed that reading at all.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהRe’eh 29a
שנברא לכבודו ית׳ לשמש את קונו כו׳ ואזי יזכה לרב טוב הצפון כו׳. ועתידים צדיקים שיאמרו לפניהם קדוש כו׳: וכל בניך למודי הוי׳ ורב שלום בניך וגו׳. וארז״ל ת״ח מרבים שלום בעולם שנאמר וכל בניך כו׳ ורב שלום בניך אל תקרי בניך אלא בוניך (כדאיתא בגמרא סוף מסכת ברכות וסוף יבמות ועיין על פסוק זה ברבות ס״פ ויגש בשלח ר״פ כ״א תצוה פ׳ ל״ח וע״ש. נשא קרוב לס״פ י״א גבי וישם לך שלום ס״פ כי תצא ובסוף מדרש אסתר זח״ב תרומה קס״ט סע״ב ח״ג אמור צ״א ב׳ אחרי דס״ב א׳ ס״ד ב׳ צ״ו ב׳). וצ״ל למה הוצרכו להוכיח זה ממה שאמרו אל תקרי בניך אלא בוניך הא גם מהכתיב בניך למודי הוי׳ יש להוכיח כן דקאי על ת״ח שהן הן למודי הוי׳ והן הן מרבים שלום. ויש להקדים מארז״ל פ״ז …
Our explanationHere it supports the idea that Torah scholars “build” G‑d’s kingship.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Torah Ohr, Vayeishev, maamar 3לעיל פ׳ ראה כט, אpage 29a, ¶12
משרע״ה. ונדב ואביהוא היו נ״ר של יוסף. ואנחנו טמאים לנפש אדם זה אביהוא. אבל נדב היה מבחי׳ רוח ולא היו צריכים הזאה בשבילו כלל. ועליו נאמר ורוח נדיבה תסמכני. וז״ש נוהג כצאן יוסף. כי בזמן הגלות הנהגת ישראל הוא בבחי׳ יוסף שהוא מבחי׳ חלום מעולם העגולים כו׳. ולכן נק׳ בן פור״ת אותיות פות״ר ותופ״ר שמחבר כו׳. ולכן היה פותר חלומות:
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 12
On the words
וכל בניך למודי
How it connects
“All your children shall be taught by G‑d”: the verse behind the reading “your builders.”our note
The source
Isaiah 54:13ישעיהו נ״ד:י״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)12וְשַׂמְתִּי כַּדְכֹד שִׁמְשֹׁתַיִךְ וּשְׁעָרַיִךְ לְאַבְנֵי אֶקְדָּח וְכׇל־גְּבוּלֵךְ לְאַבְנֵי־חֵפֶץ: 13וְכׇל־בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי ה׳ וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָיִךְ: 14בִּצְדָקָה תִּכּוֹנָנִי רַחֲקִי מֵעֹשֶׁק כִּי־לֹא תִירָאִי וּמִמְּחִתָּה כִּי לֹא־תִקְרַב אֵלָיִךְ:
12… thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones. 13And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 14In righteousness shalt thou be established; be thou far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 13
On the words
ותושבע״פ קרינן לה
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
ת״ז בהקדמה (פתח אלי׳).
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 14
On the words
ותורה שבעל פה קרינן לה
How it connects
The passage known as Patach Eliyahu, in the introduction to Tikkunei Zohar, identifies Malchus with the Oral Torah.our note
The source
Tikkunei Zohar 17a:16–17תקוני הזהר י״ז א:ט״ז-י״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)ואתקריאו בתקונא דא. חסד דרועא ימינא. גבורה דרועא שמאלא. תפארת גופא. נצח והוד תרין שוקין. ויסוד סיומא דגופא אות ברית קדש. מלכות פה. תורה שבע"פ קרינן ליה. מוחא חכמה איהו מחשבה מלגו. בינה לבא ובה הלב מבין. ועל אלין תרין כתיב *הנסתרות ליי' אלקינו.
Hebrew: Constantinople, 1740 (CC-BY-NC) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 15
On the words
וכי ישאל
How it connects
“And if a person borrows”: the verse whose opening vav the Talmud uses to link the laws of borrowing to what precedes.our note
The source
Exodus 22:13שמות כ״ב:י״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)12אִם־טָרֹף יִטָּרֵף יְבִאֵהוּ עֵד הַטְּרֵפָה לֹא יְשַׁלֵּם: 13וְכִי־יִשְׁאַל אִישׁ מֵעִם רֵעֵהוּ וְנִשְׁבַּר אוֹ־מֵת בְּעָלָיו אֵין־עִמּוֹ שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם: 14אִם־בְּעָלָיו עִמּוֹ לֹא יְשַׁלֵּם אִם־שָׂכִיר הוּא בָּא בִּשְׂכָרוֹ:
12… pieces, let him bring it for witness; he shall not make good that which was torn. 13And if a man borrow aught of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make restitution. 14If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good; if it be …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 16
On the words
פרק השואל
How it connects
The Talmud’s rule that a vav adds to the preceding subject, from which the chapter HaSho’el derives its laws.our note
The source
Bava Metzia 95a:13בבא מציעא צ״ה א:י״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)אֶלָּא, אָמַר קְרָא ״וְכִי יִשְׁאַל״ – וָיו מוֹסִיף עַל עִנְיָן רִאשׁוֹן, וְיִלְמַד עֶלְיוֹן מִתַּחְתּוֹן.
Hebrew: William Davidson, Vocalized Aramaic (CC-BY-NC) · via Sefaria
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהV’Zos HaBerachah 95d
ממש. רק שצ״ל ג״כ המתקת הגבורות שלא להיות צמצום גמור. וזהו דגליד ברוחא כו׳. והנה מאותיות דתשב״כ נמשך בתשבע״פ כמו פרק השואל במס׳ ב״מ נלקח מוי״ו דוכי ישאל איש כו׳וי״ו מוסיף על ענין ראשון משא״כ טעמים נקודות תגין לא באו בגילוי בתשבע״פ. וזהו שנאמר ואתה כו׳ מימינו אש כו׳ היינו התהוות אותיות דתשב״כ ע״י דכביד באשא ומזה נמשך התשבע״פ. ועמ״ש בד״ה ועשית ציץ גבי ופתחת עליו פתוחי חותם. ובזה יובן מ״ש וכדה על שכמה ואח״כ כתיב ותורד כדה על ידה כי פי׳ כדה היינו כ״ד ספרין דאורייתא ולפי שנובלות חש״מ תורה היינו מבחי׳ שערות ולכן נאמר וכדה על שכמה שהוא בחי׳ אחוריים דרק מבחי׳ אחוריים ונובלות חש״מ נמשכו הכ״ד ספרי׳ דאורייתא וכמשל ביטול כד א׳ לגבי הים או המעין. וז״ש במשה רבינו ע״ה ופני לא יראו כו׳ אך כדי שיומשך …
Now, the earth is the level of the letters included in the intellect, which is called water; and through “compressed by fire,” which is the level of the five Gevuros, the existence of the letters comes into actual revelation. Only, there must also be a sweetening of the Gevuros, so that it not be a complete contraction. And this is [the meaning of] “which congealed by wind,” etc.
Our explanationThe passage gives the same example: the Oral Torah is drawn from the letters of the Written Torah, as the chapter HaSho’el is derived from the vav of “And if a person borrows.” It adds that the cantillation, vowel points and crowns of the Written Torah do not appear openly in the Oral Torah.
Read it hereTorah Ohr, Megillas Esther, maamar 8לקמן צה, דpage 95d, ¶23
כי פשענו. וענין הפשע לא בשופטני עסקינן אלא פשעים אלו המרדים. ומרד הוא ענין פריקת עול כלומר שהפריקות עול בלבד נחשב לו כפשע.
Open it on Sefaria (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה ב״מ צה, א. וראה גם לקמן צה, ד.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 17
On the words
גלה כבוד מלכותך
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
מוסף דשלש רגלים.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 18
On the words
חיי שרה מאה שנה
How it connects
Sarah’s hundred years, linked elsewhere in Likkutei Torah to the hundred daily blessings.our note
The source
Genesis 23:1בראשית כ״ג:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1וַיִּהְיוּ חַיֵּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי שָׂרָה: 2וַתָּמׇת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִוא חֶבְרוֹן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיָּבֹא אַבְרָהָם לִסְפֹּד לְשָׂרָה וְלִבְכֹּתָהּ:
1And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2And Sarah died in Kiriatharba—the same is Hebron—in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 19
On the words
ברוך כבוד ה׳ ממקומו
How it connects
“Blessed be the glory of G‑d from its place”: the blessing of the ofanim, discussed in the maamar on “Give ear, O heavens.”our note
The source
Ezekiel 3:12יחזקאל ג׳:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וְלֵךְ בֹּא אֶל־הַגּוֹלָה אֶל־בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹ־נָי ה׳ אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּלוּ: 12וַתִּשָּׂאֵנִי רוּחַ וָאֶשְׁמַע אַחֲרַי קוֹל רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל בָּרוּךְ כְּבוֹד־ה׳ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ: 13וְקוֹל כַּנְפֵי הַחַיּוֹת מַשִּׁיקוֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחוֹתָהּ וְקוֹל הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעֻמָּתָם וְקוֹל רַעַשׁ גָּדוֹל:
11… tell them: Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.’ 12Then a spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing: ‘Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place’; 13also the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 20
On the words
ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה
How it connects
“See, I set before you this day a blessing”: the opening of a maamar the text refers to.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 11:26דברים י״א:כ״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)25לֹא־יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ בִּפְנֵיכֶם פַּחְדְּכֶם וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם יִתֵּן ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם עַל־פְּנֵי כׇל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרְכוּ־בָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָכֶם: 26רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה: 27אֶת־הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶל־מִצְוֺת ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם:
25… you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as He hath spoken unto you. 26Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if ye shall hearken unto the commandments of the LORD your God, which I …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 21
On the words
ועתה יגדל נא כח אד׳
How it connects
Moshe’s prayer, “Now let the power of Ado-nai be great”: the opening of a maamar the text refers to.our note
The source
Numbers 14:17במדבר י״ד:י״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)16מִבִּלְתִּי יְכֹלֶת ה׳ לְהָבִיא אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּע לָהֶם וַיִּשְׁחָטֵם בַּמִּדְבָּר: 17וְעַתָּה יִגְדַּל־נָא כֹּחַ אֲדֹ־נָי כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ לֵאמֹר: 18ה׳ אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפָשַׁע וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל־בָּנִים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִים:
16… into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness. 17And now, I pray Thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying: 18The LORD is slow to anger, and plenteous in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 22
On the words
הופיע מהר פארן וזרח משעיר וגו׳
How it connects
G‑d “shone forth from Seir, appeared from Mount Paran” at the giving of the Torah; the verse itself has the two phrases in the reverse order.our note
The source
Deuteronomy 33:2דברים ל״ג:ב׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹקִים אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ: 2וַיֹּאמַר ה׳ מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן וְאָתָה מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ: 3אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים כׇּל־קְדֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ:
1… the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2And he said: The LORD came from Sinai, And rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth from mount Paran, And He came from the myriads holy, At His right hand was a fiery law unto them. 3Yea, He loveth the peoples, All His holy ones—they are in Thy hand; And they sit …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
דברים לג, ב. שם אי׳ וזרח משעיר גו׳ הופיע גו׳ [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 23
On the words
בד״ה במדבר סיני
How it connects
The maamar on “In the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting,” which the text cites for the meaning of “tent” as a dwelling for G‑d’s kingship.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהParshas Bamidbar · not yet checked
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
לעיל פ׳ במדבר.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 24
On the words
במדבר סיני באהל מועד
How it connects
“In the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting”: the opening of a maamar on the meaning of “tent.”our note
The source
Numbers 1:1במדבר א׳:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר: 2שְׂאוּ אֶת־רֹאשׁ כׇּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת כׇּל־זָכָר לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם:
1AND THE LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2’Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 25
On the words
מה טובו אוהליך יעקב
How it connects
“How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov”: cited on the meaning of “tent” as a dwelling for G‑d.our note
The source
Numbers 24:5במדבר כ״ד:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי־אֵל אֲשֶׁר מַחֲזֵה שַׁ־דַּי יֶחֱזֶה נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם: 5מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל: 6כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע ה׳ כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי־מָיִם:
4… words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Fallen down, yet with opened eyes: 5How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy dwellings, O Israel! 6As valleys stretched out, As gardens by the river-side; As aloes planted of the LORD, As …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 26
On the words
וייטב לבו
How it connects
Boaz “ate and drank and his heart was merry”: the word tov applied to the heart.our note
The source
Ruth 3:7רות ג׳:ז׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)6וַתֵּרֶד הַגֹּרֶן וַתַּעַשׂ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוַּתָּה חֲמוֹתָהּ: 7וַיֹּאכַל בֹּעַז וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ וַיָּבֹא לִשְׁכַּב בִּקְצֵה הָעֲרֵמָה וַתָּבֹא בַלָּט וַתְּגַל מַרְגְּלֹתָיו וַתִּשְׁכָּב: 8וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיֶּחֱרַד הָאִישׁ וַיִּלָּפֵת וְהִנֵּה אִשָּׁה שֹׁכֶבֶת מַרְגְּלֹתָיו:
6And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her. 7And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn; and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. 8And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was startled, and turned himself; and, …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 27
On the words
לאיתן האזרחי
How it connects
The psalm “of Eisan the Ezrachite,” discussed in the maamar on “See, I set before you.”our note
The source
Psalms 89:1תהילים פ״ט:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1מַשְׂכִּיל לְאֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי: 2חַסְדֵי ה׳ עוֹלָם אָשִׁירָה לְדֹר וָדֹר אוֹדִיעַ אֱמוּנָתְךָ בְּפִי:
1Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. 2I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever; To all generations will I …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 28
On the words
במדרש רבה בשלח) (ר״פ כ״ג) ע״פ נכון כסאך מאז
How it connects
The Midrash on “Your throne is established from then (me’az),” opening its discussion of the Song at the Sea.our note
The source
Shemot Rabbah 23:1שמות רבה כ״ג:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)אז ישיר משה - הדא הוא דכתיב (תהלים צג, ב): נכון כסאך מאז. אמר רבי ברכיה, בשם רבי אבהו: אף על פי שמעולם אתה, לא נתיישב כסאך ולא נודעת בעולמך, עד שאמרו בניך שירה, לכך נאמר: נכון כסאך מאז. משל למלך, שעשה מלחמה ונצח, ועשו אותו אגוסטוס. אמרו לו: עד שלא עשית המלחמה היית מלך, עכשיו עשינוך אגוסטוס. מה יש כבוד בין המלך לאגוסטוס? אלא, המלך עומד על הלוח ואגוסטוס יושב. כך אמרו ישראל: באמת עד שלא בראת עולמך, היית אתה, משבראת אותו אתה הוא, אלא כביכול עומד, שנאמר (חבקוק ג, ו): עמד וימודד ארץ, אבל משעמדת בים ואמרנו שירה לפניך באז, נתיישבה מלכותך וכסאך נכון. הוי, נכון כסאך מאז, באז ישיר:
“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: I will sing to the Lord, for He is exalted; the horse and his rider He cast into the sea” (Exodus 15:1). “Then [az] Moses…sang” – that is what is written: “Your throne is established of old [me’az]; [You have existed from eternity]” (Psalms 93:2). Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abahu: Even though “You have existed from eternity,” Your throne was not settled and You were not known in Your world until Your children sang a song. That is why it is stated: “Your throne is established of old.” This is analogous to a king who waged war and was victorious and they made him emperor. They said to him: …
Hebrew: Daat Shemot Rabbah (Public Domain) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 29
On the words
נכון כסאך מאז
How it connects
“Your throne is established from then”: az as a primordial level.our note
The source
Psalms 93:2תהילים צ״ג:ב׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1ה׳ מָלָךְ גֵּאוּת לָבֵשׁ לָבֵשׁ ה׳ עֹז הִתְאַזָּר אַף־תִּכּוֹן תֵּבֵל בַּל־תִּמּוֹט: 2נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז מֵעוֹלָם אָתָּה: 3נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת ה׳ נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת קוֹלָם יִשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת דׇּכְיָם:
1… He hath girded Himself with strength; Yea, the world is established, that it cannot be moved. 2Thy throne is established of old; Thou art from everlasting. 3The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 30
On the words
ובזח״ב (בשלח נ״ד ב׳)
How it connects
The note refers to Or HaTorah for the wording of this Zohar passage on “Then Moshe sang.”our note
Where the note points
Or HaTorah, by the Tzemach Tzedekאור התורהBeshalach, p. 503
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה הלשון באוה״ת בשלח ע׳ תקג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 31
On the words
ובזח״ב (בשלח נ״ד ב׳)
How it connects
The Zohar in Beshalach on “Then Moshe sang,” cited by the text.our note
The source
Zohar, Beshalach 16:230–241ספר הזהר, בשלח ט״ז:ר״ל-רמ״אSefaria (opens in a new tab)Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 32
On the words
אז ישיר
How it connects
“Then Moshe sang”: the Song at the Sea, opening with az.our note
The source
Exodus 15:1שמות ט״ו:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1אָז יָשִׁיר־מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַHavayah וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר אָשִׁירָה לַHavayah כִּי־גָאֹה גָּאָה סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם: 2עׇזִּי וְזִמְרָת קָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹקֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ:
1Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spoke, saying: I will sing unto the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. 2The LORD is my strength and song, And He is become my salvation; This is my …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 33
How it connects
The Midrash on Boaz’s merry heart, cited by the text.our note
The source
Ruth Rabbah 5:15רות רבה ה׳:ט״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)וַיֹּאכַל בֹּעַז וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ, לָמָּה וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ, שֶׁבֵּרַךְ עַל מְזוֹנוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ, שֶׁאָכַל מִינֵי מְתִיקָה אַחַר הַמָּזוֹן, שֶׁהִיא מַרְגֶּלֶת לָשׁוֹן לַתּוֹרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ, שֶׁעָסַק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט, עב): טוֹב לִי תוֹרַת פִּיךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ אִשָּׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי יח, כב): מָצָא אִשָּׁה מָצָא טוֹב. וַיָּבֹא לִשְׁכַּב בִּקְצֵה הָעֲרֵמָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה נְשִׂיאָה בְּעָא קוֹמֵי רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בַּר חָמָא, בֹּעַז גְּדוֹל הַדּוֹר הָיָה, וְאַתְּ אֲמַרְתְּ בִּקְצֵה הָעֲרֵמָה, אָמַר לוֹ …
“Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the pile of grain; and she came stealthily, uncovered his feet, and lay down” (Ruth 3:7). “Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was merry.” Why was his heart merry? It is because he recited a blessing on his food. Alternatively, “his heart was merry,” because he ate different sweets after the meal, because it accustoms the tongue to recite Torah. Alternatively, “his heart was merry,” as he engaged in Torah study, as it is stated: “The Torah of your mouth is better for me” (Psalms 119:72). Alternatively, “his heart was merry,” as he was seeking a wife, as it is stated: “One who has found a wife has found …
Hebrew: Midrash Rabbah -- TE (Public Domain) · English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 (CC-BY) · via Sefaria
- 34
On the words
בהיטיבו את הנרות
How it connects
The trimming (heitiv) of the Menorah’s lamps, discussed in the maamar on Chanukah.our note
The source
Exodus 30:7שמות ל׳:ז׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)6וְנָתַתָּה אֹתוֹ לִפְנֵי הַפָּרֹכֶת אֲשֶׁר עַל־אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת לִפְנֵי הַכַּפֹּרֶת אֲשֶׁר עַל־הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לְךָ שָׁמָּה: 7וְהִקְטִיר עָלָיו אַהֲרֹן קְטֹרֶת סַמִּים בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר בְּהֵיטִיבוֹ אֶת־הַנֵּרֹת יַקְטִירֶנָּה: 8וּבְהַעֲלֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת־הַנֵּרֹת בֵּין הָעַרְבַּיִם יַקְטִירֶנָּה קְטֹרֶת תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי ה׳ לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם:
6… the testimony, before the ark-cover that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of sweet spices; every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it. 8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at dusk, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 35
On the words
על כל הטובה
How it connects
Kehot’s marei makom for these words (its note is below).
Kehot’s note
מ״א (סוס״י ח). [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 36
On the words
על כל הטובה אשר עשה ה׳ לדוד עבדו
How it connects
The end of the opening verse: the joy was over the good done for David, G‑d’s kingship, and for Israel His people.our note
The source
I Kings 8:66מלכים א ח׳:ס״וSefaria (opens in a new tab)65… קָהָל גָּדוֹל מִלְּבוֹא חֲמָת עַד־נַחַל מִצְרַיִם לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְשִׁבְעַת יָמִים אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם: 66בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שִׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָם וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֵּלְכוּ לְאׇהֳלֵיהֶם שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב עַל כׇּל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה׳ לְדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ:
65… Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David His servant, and to Israel His people.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 37
On the words
ולישראל עמו שהם בניך בוניך
How it connects
The note observes that although only “your builders” seems relevant here, the text says both, suggesting that “Israel His people” includes both aspects, “your children” and “your builders.”our note
Where the note points
The Rebbe’s maamar “ביום השמיני שלח” (5741)ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשמ״אA maamar of the Rebbe, 5741
Find it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
אף שלכאורה נוגע כאן רק ”בוניך” — די״ל שבזה מרמז ש”ולישראל עמו” כולל ב׳ הענינים ”בניך” ו”בוניך” — ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשמ״א (הנ״ל) הערה 102.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 38
On the words
מלכותך מל׳ כל עולמים
How it connects
“Your kingship is the kingship of all worlds”: the “building of the world” is G‑d’s kingship.our note
The source
Psalms 145:13תהילים קמ״ה:י״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)12לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָיו וּכְבוֹד הֲדַר מַלְכוּתוֹ: 13מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כׇּל־עֹלָמִים וּמֶמְשַׁלְתְּךָ בְּכׇל־דּוֹר וָדֹר: 14סוֹמֵךְ ה׳ לְכׇל־הַנֹּפְלִים וְזוֹקֵף לְכׇל־הַכְּפוּפִים:
12… the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of His kingdom. 13Thy kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, And Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. 14The LORD upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that are bowed down.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים קמה, יג.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 39
On the words
וירא אלקים את האור כי טוב
How it connects
“G‑d saw the light, that it was good”: tov links “glad of heart” to revealed light.our note
The source
Genesis 1:4בראשית א׳:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)3וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר: 4וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹקִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ: 5וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹקִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד:
3And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
בראשית א, ד.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
13וענין זה נמצא בסדר התפלה בכל הברכות ברוך הוא לשון נסתר כאלו מדבר עם מי שאינו לפניו
This matter is found in the order of prayer, in all the blessings: “Blessed” is in the third person, as though one were speaking with someone who is not before him
The same rhythm of distance and nearness appears in the wording of every blessing. “Blessed” (baruch) speaks of G‑d as if He were absent,
אלא רחוק ואתה הוא בחינת גילוי לנוכח. הוי׳ אלהינו הוא ג״כ לשון נסתר מלך העולם הוא גילוי מלכותו ית׳.
but far away; and “are You” is the level of revelation, in the second person. “Havayah our G‑d” is also in the third person; “King of the world” is the revelation of His kingship, may He be blessed.
while “are You” (atah) addresses Him directly, as present. “Havayah our G‑d” returns to the third person, and “King of the world” reveals His kingship.
וכן על דרך זה בכל סדר התפלה יש במקרא אחד נסתר ונכח שהוא בחינות ריחוק וקירוב
Likewise, in this manner, throughout the order of prayer there is, within a single verse, both third person and second person, which are the levels of distance and nearness.
Throughout the prayers, a single verse often switches between third and second person. These shifts are the movement between distance and nearness.
(ועיין במדרש שמות רבה פרשה א׳ ע״פ ותתצב אחותו מרחוק1 ע״ש מרחוק ה׳ נראה לי. ועמ״ש סד״ה אתם נצבים בענין ושקל בפלס2 שהוא ג״כ בחי׳ ריחוק כו׳ ומ״ש סד״ה וידעת היום בענין שלום שלום לרחוק ולקרוב)3
(See Midrash Shemos Rabbah, section 1, on the verse “And his sister stood from afar”; see there: “From afar G‑d appeared to me.” And see what is explained at the end of the maamar beginning “You are standing,” on the matter of “and weighed with a balance,” which is also the level of distance, etc.; and what is explained at the end of the maamar beginning “Know this day,” on the matter of “Peace, peace, to the far and to the near.”)
The Midrash on Miriam standing “from afar” and the verse “From afar G‑d appeared to me” show that distance itself can be a mode of G‑d’s presence. Other maamarim on weighing “with a balance” and on “peace to the far and to the near” develop the same theme.
וזהו שכתוב בזוה״ק וכהאריז״ל ששכנס״י עם הקב״ה הם בבחי׳ פנים בפנים לעתים ולעתים בבחי׳ אחור באחור ולעתים יורדת כנסת ישראל לבריאה יצירה עשיה כו׳:
And this is what is written in the holy Zohar and [in the teachings of] the Arizal, of blessed memory: that Knesses Yisrael and the Holy One, blessed be He, are at times in a state of face to face, at times in a state of back to back, and at times Knesses Yisrael descends to Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, etc.
The Zohar and the Arizal describe the relationship between Knesses Yisrael and G‑d as shifting: sometimes “face to face,” sometimes “back to back,” and sometimes with Knesses Yisrael descending into the lower worlds. This cosmic rhythm mirrors the dance of the soul.
The paragraph finds the dance of distance and nearness in the structure of prayer itself, where each blessing moves between third and second person, and in the Kabbalistic description of the changing states of Knesses Yisrael’s bond with G‑d.
The shift from “blessed” to “You” within one blessing mirrors the passage from the hidden (nistar) to the revealed (nigleh): G‑d is addressed as present only after being acknowledged as beyond.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
ותתצב אחותו מרחוק
How it connects
Miriam stood “from afar” to watch over Moshe; the Midrash on this verse is cited for distance as a mode of presence.our note
The source
Exodus 2:4שמות ב׳:ד׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)3וְלֹא־יָכְלָה עוֹד הַצְּפִינוֹ וַתִּקַּח־לוֹ תֵּבַת גֹּמֶא וַתַּחְמְרָהֿ בַחֵמָר וּבַזָּפֶת וַתָּשֶׂם בָּהּ אֶת־הַיֶּלֶד וַתָּשֶׂם בַּסּוּף עַל־שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר: 4וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק לְדֵעָה מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂה לוֹ: 5וַתֵּרֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה לִרְחֹץ עַל־הַיְאֹר וְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ הֹלְכֹת עַל־יַד הַיְאֹר וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה בְּתוֹךְ הַסּוּף וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת־אֲמָתָהּ וַתִּקָּחֶהָ:
3… and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. 4And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 5And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river; and her maidens walked …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 2
On the words
ושקל בפלס
How it connects
G‑d “weighed the mountains with a balance”: discussed in the maamar on “You are standing” as a mode of distance.our note
The source
Isaiah 40:12ישעיהו מ׳:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11כְּרֹעֶה עֶדְרוֹ יִרְעֶה בִּזְרֹעוֹ יְקַבֵּץ טְלָאִים וּבְחֵיקוֹ יִשָּׂא עָלוֹת יְנַהֵל: 12מִי־מָדַד בְּשׇׁעֳלוֹ מַיִם וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן וְכָל בַּשָּׁלִשׁ עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁקַל בַּפֶּלֶס הָרִים וּגְבָעוֹת בְּמֹאזְנָיִם: 13מִי־תִכֵּן אֶת־רוּחַ ה׳ וְאִישׁ עֲצָתוֹ יוֹדִיעֶנּוּ:
11… in his arm, And carrieth them in his bosom, And gently leadeth those that give suck. 12Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, And meted out heaven with the span, And comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, And weighed the mountains in scales, And the hills in a balance? 13Who hath meted out the spirit of the LORD? Or who was His counsellor that he …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
שלום שלום לרחוק ולקרוב
How it connects
“Peace, peace, to the far and to the near”: both distance and nearness are part of the relationship.our note
The source
Isaiah 57:19ישעיהו נ״ז:י״טSefaria (opens in a new tab)18דְּרָכָיו רָאִיתִי וְאֶרְפָּאֵהוּ וְאַנְחֵהוּ וַאֲשַׁלֵּם נִחֻמִים לוֹ וְלַאֲבֵלָיו: 19בּוֹרֵא נִיב שְׂפָתָיִם שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב אָמַר Havayah וּרְפָאתִיו: 20וְהָרְשָׁעִים כַּיָּם נִגְרָשׁ כִּי הַשְׁקֵט לֹא יוּכָל וַיִּגְרְשׁוּ מֵימָיו רֶפֶשׁ וָטִיט:
18… will heal him; I will lead him also, and requite with comforts him and his mourners. 19Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, Saith the LORD that createth the fruit of the lips; And I will heal him. 20But the wicked are like the troubled sea; For it cannot rest, and its waters cast …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
Summary ¶14–17
14קיצור ע״פ ביום השמיני שלח
Summary of [the maamar on] “On the eighth day he sent”
A heading: what follows is a short summary (kitzur) of the maamar, outlining its main points section by section.
A heading introducing the summary of the maamar that follows.
15(א) במחול לשון מחילת עון ול׳ ריקוד. בהריקוד יש ריחוק וקירוב והיינו בחי׳ רצוא ושוב.
(1) “In the dance”: an expression of forgiveness of sin, and an expression of dancing. In dancing there is distance and nearness, and this is the level of ratzo and shov.
Summary of section one: machol, “dance,” means both forgiveness of sin and dancing, and the dance, with its moving apart and coming together, is ratzo and shov.
אחור וקדם צרתני.1 קדם בחינת במי נמלך. סוכ״ע. ומזה נמשך הרצוא בחלל הימיני תעלומת לב שנמשכה מבחינת ישת חשך סתרו.2
“Behind and before You have formed me.” “Before”: the level of “With whom did He take counsel”; sovev kol almin. From this the ratzo in the right chamber is drawn, “the hidden thing of the heart,” which is drawn from the level of “He made darkness His hiding place.”
The soul has “behind” and “before.” “Before” is its root in G‑d’s thought, beyond the worlds (sovev kol almin); from it comes the hidden, fiery ratzo in the heart’s right chamber, rooted in G‑d’s concealed level, “He made darkness His hiding place.”
(שחורה אני3 אש שחורה). בצל שדי יתלונן בחינת מקיף. והעבודה להיות יהי אור4 (והיינו ע״י התהפכות חשך דנה״ב).
(“I am black”: black fire.) “In the shadow of the Almighty he abides”: the level of makif. And the service is to be “Let there be light” (that is, through the transformation of the darkness of the animal soul).
This hidden love is “black fire” and the “shade” that encompasses a person from outside. The task is to turn it into “light,” by transforming the darkness of the animal soul.
ובמ״א מבואר הרצוא מ״ה והשוב ב״ן ומ״ש ששרשו מבחי׳ קדם היינו א״ק אדם מ״ה דאיהו אורח אצילות:5
Elsewhere it is explained that the ratzo is [the Name] Mah and the shov is [the Name] Ban; and what is said, that its root is from the level of “before,” means Adam Kadmon, Adam of Mah, “which is the path of Atzilus.”
An added note: elsewhere ratzo is linked to the divine Name Mah (spelled with alephs, numerical value 45) and shov to the Name Ban (spelled with heis, value 52). The soul’s root in kedem refers to Adam Kadmon, the primordial level above Atzilus, described as Mah “that is the path of Atzilus.”
The summary of the first section: the dance of ratzo and shov, the soul’s two aspects, the hidden love rooted beyond the worlds, and the task of bringing it into light.
The pairing of ratzo with Mah and shov with Ban follows the Kabbalistic scheme in which Mah is the giving, masculine Name and Ban the receiving, feminine one.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
אחור וקדם צרתני
How it connects
The soul’s two aspects, “behind” and “before.”our note
The source
Psalms 139:5תהילים קל״ט:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4כִּי אֵין מִלָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִי הֵן ה׳ יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ: 5אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָה: 6פְּלִיאָה דַעַת מִמֶּנִּי נִשְׂגְּבָה לֹא־אוּכַל לָהּ:
4For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether. 5Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; Too high, I cannot attain unto it.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 2
On the words
ישת חשך סתרו
How it connects
The concealed level from which the hidden love comes.our note
The source
Psalms 18:12תהילים י״ח:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וַיִּרְכַּב עַל־כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף וַיֵּדֶא עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רוּחַ: 12יָשֶׁת־חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ חֶשְׁכַת־מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים: 13מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבָיו עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ:
11… a cherub, and did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind. 12He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 13At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds Hailstones and coals of fire.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
שחורה אני
How it connects
“I am black but comely,” the source for “black fire.”our note
The source
Song of Songs 1:5שיר השירים א׳:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4מׇשְׁכֵנִי אַחֲרֶיךָ נָּרוּצָה הֱבִיאַנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲדָרָיו נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ נַזְכִּירָה דֹדֶיךָ מִיַּיִן מֵישָׁרִים אֲהֵבוּךָ: 5שְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי וְנָאוָה בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם כְּאׇהֳלֵי קֵדָר כִּירִיעוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה: 6אַל־תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת שֶׁשְּׁזָפַתְנִי הַשָּׁמֶשׁ בְּנֵי אִמִּי נִחֲרוּ־בִי שָׂמֻנִי נֹטֵרָה אֶת־הַכְּרָמִים כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי לֹא נָטָרְתִּי:
4… in thee, We will find thy love more fragrant than wine! Sincerely do they love thee. 5’I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6Look not upon me, that I am swarthy, That the sun hath tanned me; My mother’s …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
יהי אור
How it connects
“Let there be light”: the task of revealing the hidden love.our note
The source
Genesis 1:3בראשית א׳:ג׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)2וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם: 3וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר: 4וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי־טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹקִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ:
2… face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. 3And God said: ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 5
On the words
בצל ש-די יתלונן
How it connects
Abiding in the shadow of the Almighty: the encompassing, protective level of the hidden love.our note
The source
Psalms 91:1תהילים צ״א:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1יֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן בְּצֵל שַׁ־דַּי יִתְלוֹנָן: 2אֹמַר לַה׳ מַחְסִי וּמְצוּדָתִי אֱלֹקַי אֶבְטַח־בּוֹ:
1O thou that dwellest in the covert of the Most High, And abidest in the shadow of the Almighty; 2I will say of the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים צא, א.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
16(ב) והנה סדר העבודה צ״ל תחלה ר״ה שמאל דוחה בבחינת ריחוק ועי״ז שמאלו תחת לראשי1 עד שביוהכ״פ לפני הוי׳ תטהרו בחינת פנים בפנים (וזהו הריחוק והקירוב שבמחול ואז הוא ג״כ מחול לשון מחילת עון).
(2) Now, the order of service must be, first, Rosh HaShanah, “the left hand pushes away,” in the mode of distance; and through this, “His left hand is under my head,” until on Yom Kippur, “before Havayah you shall be purified,” the level of face to face. (And this is the distance and nearness in the dance; and then it is also machol in the sense of forgiveness of sin.)
Summary of section two: service begins with the distance of Rosh HaShanah, “the left hand pushes away,” which becomes the base under the head and leads to Yom Kippur’s face-to-face closeness. This is the distance and nearness of the dance, and Yom Kippur is also machol as forgiveness.
And through this, “If your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white as snow,” etc. “His garment white as snow.” And it has no eating or drinking.
Through this, sins become white as snow, the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (“His garment white as snow”) are revealed, and the day has no eating or drinking because the inner heart, not nourished by food, is revealed.
The summary of the second section: the path from Rosh HaShanah’s distance to Yom Kippur’s face-to-face closeness and forgiveness.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
שמאלו תחת לראשי
How it connects
“His left hand is under my head”: the distance of Rosh HaShanah as the base for closeness.our note
The source
Song of Songs 2:6שיר השירים ב׳:ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)5סַמְּכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים כִּי־חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי: 6שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי: 7הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה אִם־תָּעִירוּ וְאִם־תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ:
5’Stay ye me with dainties, refresh me with apples; For I am love-sick.’ 6Let his left hand be under my head, And his right hand embrace me. 7’I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, and by the hinds of the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 2
On the words
אם יהיו חטאיכם כשנים כשלג ילבינו
How it connects
Sins made white as snow.our note
The source
Isaiah 1:18ישעיהו א׳:י״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)17לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה: 18לְכוּ־נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה יֹאמַר ה׳ אִם־יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ אִם־יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ: 19אִם־תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵלוּ:
17Learn to do well; Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18Come now, and let us reason together, Saith the LORD; Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19If ye be willing and obedient, Ye shall eat the good of the land;
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
לבושיה כתלג חיור
How it connects
The garment white as snow: the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.our note
The source
Daniel 7:9דניאל ז׳:ט׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)8… סִלְקָת בֵּינֵיהֵן וּתְלָת מִן־קַרְנַיָּא קַדְמָיָתָא אֶתְעֲקַרָה מִן־[קֳדָמַהּ] (קדמיה) וַאֲלוּ עַיְנִין כְּעַיְנֵי אֲנָשָׁא בְּקַרְנָא־דָא וּפֻם מְמַלִּל רַבְרְבָן: 9חָזֵה הֲוֵית עַד דִּי כׇרְסָוָן רְמִיו וְעַתִּיק יוֹמִין יְתִב לְבוּשֵׁהּ כִּתְלַג חִוָּר וּשְׂעַר רֵאשֵׁהּ כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא כׇּרְסְיֵהּ שְׁבִבִין דִּי־נוּר גַּלְגִּלּוֹהִי נוּר דָּלִק: 10נְהַר דִּי־נוּר נָגֵד וְנָפֵק מִן־קֳדָמוֹהִי אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּהּ וְרִבּוֹ רִבְבָן קָדָמוֹהִי יְקוּמוּן דִּינָא יְתִב וְסִפְרִין פְּתִיחוּ:
8… this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9I beheld Till thrones were placed, And one that was ancient of days did sit: His raiment was as white snow, And the hair of his head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. 10A fiery stream issued And came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, And …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
לפני הוי׳ תטהרו
How it connects
Purification “before G‑d” on Yom Kippur.our note
The source
Leviticus 16:30ויקרא ט״ז:ל׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)29וְהָיְתָה לָכֶם לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ תְּעַנּוּ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם וְכׇל־מְלָאכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ הָאֶזְרָח וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם: 30כִּי־בַיּוֹם הַזֶּה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם מִכֹּל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם לִפְנֵי ה׳ תִּטְהָרוּ: 31שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן הִיא לָכֶם וְעִנִּיתֶם אֶת־נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָם:
29… and shall do no manner of work, the home-born, or the stranger that sojourneth among you. 30For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before the LORD. 31It is a sabbath of solemn rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; it …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
(3) From this there is drawn on Sukkos “and His right hand embraces me”: great love. “G‑d is your shade”; and the four kinds in the lulav, to draw the Name Havayah into the heart.
Summary of section three: Yom Kippur leads to the embrace of Sukkos, the “great love.” The sukkah is G‑d’s “shade,” and the four kinds draw the Name Havayah into the heart.
And this is “He gives snow like wool,” the level of Yom Kippur; and afterwards “He casts forth His ice,” that is, the level of great love mentioned above, which congealed and became ice.
In Psalm 147, “snow like wool” is Yom Kippur, and “He casts forth His ice” is Sukkos, when the great love “freezes” into a graspable form.
(והוא כענין רקיע כעין הקרח).5 פרסא פרוכת שלשת אלפים משל.6 וכן בחי׳ שוב ההתלבשות במעשה המצות וזהו כי חסד חפצתי ולא זבח.7
(And it is like the matter of “a firmament like the color of ice.”) Parsa; curtain; three thousand parables. And likewise the level of shov, the clothing in the performance of the mitzvos; and this is “For I desire kindness, and not sacrifice.”
The ice is the firmament over the chayos, the partition (parsa) or curtain between worlds, like a teacher’s parable. It is also the shov, in which love is clothed in practical mitzvos; the verse “I desire kindness, not sacrifice” is cited as an example of G‑d’s desire for Chesed expressed in deeds.
(ועמ״ש סד״ה כי תשמע בענין כי באלה חפצתי8 ומ״ש בד״ה בפ׳ נסכים). אך לפני קרתו מי יעמוד.
(And see what is explained at the end of the maamar beginning “For you shall hearken,” on the matter of “for in these I delight”; and what is explained in the maamar in the section on libations.) But “before His cold, who can stand?”
References to maamarim on “for in these I delight” and on the libations. But the ice brings the danger of coldness: “before His cold, who can stand?”
ולכן צ״ל ישלח דברו וימסם9 וזהו ענין שמע״צ (וב׳ בחי׳ אלו דקרח ויזלו מים זהו ג״כ ריחוק וקירוב):(ד) ובבחי׳ זו שלח את העם.
Therefore there must be “He sends forth His word and melts them”; and this is the matter of Shemini Atzeres. (And these two levels, of ice and of “the waters flow,” are also distance and nearness.) (4) And in this level, “he sent the people away,”
Therefore the ice must be melted, “He sends forth His word and melts them”: this is Shemini Atzeres. Ice and flowing water are themselves a form of distance and nearness. Section four begins: in this state, “he sent the people away,”
כי אין מלך בלא עם. (המשלח מעיינים.10 ועמ״ש ע״פ בשלח פרעה11 והיינו שזה שגם בהשוב יהיה כלול רצוא12 נמשך מבים השמיני. והשוב ב״ן מתברר ועולה13 בס״ג שלמעלה ממ״ה)
for there is no king without a people. (“He sends forth springs.” And see what is explained on “when Pharaoh sent.” That is: that even in the shov there be ratzo included is drawn from “on the eighth day.” And the shov, [the Name] Ban, is refined and ascends into [the Name] Sag, which is higher than Mah.)
because a king needs a people. The ability to keep ratzo within shov comes from the “eighth day.” In Kabbalistic terms, shov (the Name Ban) is refined and rises to the Name Sag, which is higher than Mah, the Name linked to ratzo; so the “return” ultimately reaches higher than the “running.”
ויברכו (ע״ד בכה״מ גם ע״ד ברוב עם הדרת מלך14 בחי׳ הדר מלכותו15 נמשך מבחי׳ ברוב עם וזהו שלח את העם ויברכו כו׳ ועמ״ש בד״ה אלה מסעי בענין אל תהי ברכת הדיוט).
“And they blessed” (in the manner of “Blessed be the glory of G‑d from its place”; also in the manner of “In the multitude of people is the King’s splendor”: the level of the splendor of His kingship is drawn from the level of “the multitude of people,” and this is “he sent the people away and they blessed,” etc. And see what is explained in the maamar beginning “These are the journeys,” on the matter of “Let not the blessing of a commoner [be light in your eyes]”).
“They blessed” is compared to the angels’ blessing “Blessed be the glory of G‑d from its place” and to the proverb “In the multitude of people is the King’s splendor”: the splendor of G‑d’s kingship comes from His many people. Sending the people out and their blessing are therefore connected.
בוניך שמחים ע״ד אז תשמח בחי׳ קדם (ע׳ זח״ב בשלח נ״ד16 א׳ ע״פ אז ישיר)17 והוא ז׳ ימי הסוכות ז׳ דאז והאלף18 שמע״צ עתיק שמתגלה בבינה
“Your builders.” “Joyful,” in the manner of “Then (az) shall she rejoice,” the level of “before” (see Zohar II, Beshalach, folio 54a, on “Then [Moshe] sang”). And this is: the seven days of Sukkos are the zayin (seven) of az, and the alef (one) is Shemini Atzeres, Atik, which is revealed in Binah.
The people are “your builders,” and their joy is the az of “then shall she rejoice,” the level of kedem. Az is spelled alef (1) and zayin (7): the zayin is the seven days of Sukkos, and the alef is Shemini Atzeres, which draws on Atik, the level above, as revealed in Binah.
וזהו אז תשמח וזהו ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע19 שהיא בינה משם שלח חרנה להיות רנה וזהו חי׳ ימי חנוכה אז ז׳ נמשך בהם אלף
And this is “Then (az) shall she rejoice.” And this is “And Yaakov went out from Be’er Sheva,” which is Binah; from there he sent [himself] toward Charan, to become song (rinah). And this is the eight days of Chanukah: az — into the seven the alef is drawn.
Yaakov leaving Be’er Sheva for Charan illustrates the same pattern. Be’er Sheva is Binah; going to Charan (whose letters contain rinah, song) is the sending out. Chanukah’s eight days are likewise az: the “one” drawn into the “seven.”
וזהו ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע בינה שהיא באר ומקור לשבע המדות ע״ד אז משם נמשך וילך חרנה לברר בירורים בחי׳ שלח את העם ועד״ז יובן ענין ח׳ ימי חנוכה א״ז שהנס20 היה שהדליקו שמונה ימים:
And this is “And Yaakov went out from Be’er Sheva”: Binah, which is the well (be’er) and source for the seven (sheva) attributes, in the manner of az; from there is drawn “and he went toward Charan,” to refine the refinements, the level of “he sent the people away.” In the same way the matter of the eight days of Chanukah, az, will be understood: that the miracle was that they lit for eight days.
Binah is called Be’er Sheva, the “well of seven,” because it is the source of the seven emotive attributes. From it Yaakov went to Charan to refine the sparks there, the equivalent of “he sent the people away”; and Chanukah’s eight days of lighting reflect the same az.
The summary of sections three and four: Sukkos as the “ice” of love clothed in mitzvos, Shemini Atzeres as its melting, and “he sent the people away” as the drawing of G‑d’s kingship into shov from a level beyond the seven, expressed in the letters of az (one and seven), in Yaakov’s going out from Be’er Sheva, and in the eight days of Chanukah.
Here the summary goes beyond the body of the maamar: shov (Ban) ascends to Sag, above Mah, the Name linked to ratzo, which accords with the Kehot note’s remark that elsewhere shov is explained as higher than ratzo. A note citing a maamar of 5741 explains that on Shemini Atzeres the shov includes within it the ratzo of Rosh HaShanah.
Marei mekomos
- 1
On the words
וימניו תחבקני
How it connects
“His right hand embraces me”: the great love of Sukkos.our note
The source
Song of Songs 2:6שיר השירים ב׳:ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)5סַמְּכוּנִי בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים כִּי־חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי: 6שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי: 7הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה אִם־תָּעִירוּ וְאִם־תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ:
5’Stay ye me with dainties, refresh me with apples; For I am love-sick.’ 6Let his left hand be under my head, And his right hand embrace me. 7’I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, and by the hinds of the …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 2
On the words
ה׳ צלך
How it connects
“G‑d is your shade”: the sukkah as divine shade.our note
The source
Psalms 121:5תהילים קכ״א:ה׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)4הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל: 5ה׳ שֹׁמְרֶךָ ה׳ צִלְּךָ עַל־יַד יְמִינֶךָ: 6יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא־יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה:
4Behold, He that keepeth Israel Doth neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is thy keeper; The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 3
On the words
הנותן שלג כצמר
How it connects
“He gives snow like wool”: Yom Kippur.our note
The source
Psalms 147:16תהילים קמ״ז:ט״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)15הַשֹּׁלֵחַ אִמְרָתוֹ אָרֶץ עַד־מְהֵרָה יָרוּץ דְּבָרוֹ: 16הַנֹּתֵן שֶׁלֶג כַּצָּמֶר כְּפוֹר כָּאֵפֶר יְפַזֵּר: 17מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ כְפִתִּים לִפְנֵי קָרָתוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד:
15He sendeth out His commandment upon earth; His word runneth very swiftly. 16He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17He casteth forth His ice like crumbs; Who can stand before His cold?
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 4
On the words
משליך קרחו
How it connects
“He casts forth His ice… before His cold who can stand?”: Sukkos and the danger of coldness.our note
The source
Psalms 147:17תהילים קמ״ז:י״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)16הַנֹּתֵן שֶׁלֶג כַּצָּמֶר כְּפוֹר כָּאֵפֶר יְפַזֵּר: 17מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ כְפִתִּים לִפְנֵי קָרָתוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד: 18יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיַמְסֵם יַשֵּׁב רוּחוֹ יִזְּלוּ־מָיִם:
16He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. 17He casteth forth His ice like crumbs; Who can stand before His cold? 18He sendeth forth His word, and melteth them; He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 5
On the words
רקיע כעין הקרח
How it connects
The firmament like ice over the chayos: the partition between worlds.our note
The source
Ezekiel 1:22יחזקאל א׳:כ״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)21בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וּבְעׇמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ וּבְהִנָּשְׂאָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ יִנָּשְׂאוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעֻמָּתָם כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים: 22וּדְמוּת עַל־רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא נָטוּי עַל־רָאשֵׁיהֶם מִלְמָעְלָה: 23וְתַחַת הָרָקִיעַ כַּנְפֵיהֶם יְשָׁרוֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחוֹתָהּ לְאִישׁ שְׁתַּיִם מְכַסּוֹת לָהֵנָּה וּלְאִישׁ שְׁתַּיִם מְכַסּוֹת לָהֵנָּה אֵת גְּוִיֹּתֵיהֶם:
21… were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 22And over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like the colour of the terrible ice, stretched forth over their heads above. 23And under the firmament were their wings conformable the one to the other; this one of …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 6
On the words
שלשת אלפים משל
How it connects
Solomon’s three thousand parables: wisdom clothed in parables.our note
The source
I Kings 5:12מלכים א ה׳:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11וַיֶּחְכַּם מִכׇּל־הָאָדָם מֵאֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי וְהֵימָן וְכַלְכֹּל וְדַרְדַּע בְּנֵי מָחוֹל וַיְהִי־שְׁמוֹ בְכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם סָבִיב: 12וַיְדַבֵּר שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים מָשָׁל וַיְהִי שִׁירוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה וָאָלֶף: 13וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־הָעֵצִים מִן־הָאֶרֶז אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן וְעַד הָאֵזוֹב אֲשֶׁר יֹצֵא בַּקִּיר וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־הַבְּהֵמָה וְעַל־הָעוֹף וְעַל־הָרֶמֶשׂ וְעַל־הַדָּגִים:
11… and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations round about. 12And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. 13And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 7
On the words
כי חסד חפצתי ולא זבח
How it connects
“For I desire kindness and not sacrifice”: G‑d’s desire expressed in deeds of Chesed.our note
The source
Hosea 6:6הושע ו׳:ו׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)5עַל־כֵּן חָצַבְתִּי בַּנְּבִיאִים הֲרַגְתִּים בְּאִמְרֵי־פִי וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ אוֹר יֵצֵא: 6כִּי חֶסֶד חָפַצְתִּי וְלֹא־זָבַח וְדַעַת אֱלֹקִים מֵעֹלוֹת: 7וְהֵמָּה כְּאָדָם עָבְרוּ בְרִית שָׁם בָּגְדוּ בִי:
5… slain them by the words of My mouth; And thy judgment goeth forth as the light. 6For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings. 7But they like men have transgressed the covenant; There have they dealt treacherously against Me.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
הושע ו, ו.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 8
On the words
כי באלה חפצתי
How it connects
“For in these I delight”: kindness, justice and righteousness, discussed in the maamar the text refers to.our note
The source
Jeremiah 9:23ירמיהו ט׳:כ״גSefaria (opens in a new tab)22כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ אַל־יִתְהַלֵּל חָכָם בְּחׇכְמָתוֹ וְאַל־יִתְהַלֵּל הַגִּבּוֹר בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ אַל־יִתְהַלֵּל עָשִׁיר בְּעׇשְׁרוֹ: 23כִּי אִם־בְּזֹאת יִתְהַלֵּל הַמִּתְהַלֵּל הַשְׂכֵּל וְיָדֹעַ אוֹתִי כִּי אֲנִי ה׳ עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ כִּי־בְאֵלֶּה חָפַצְתִּי נְאֻם־ה׳ 24הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים נְאֻם־ה׳ וּפָקַדְתִּי עַל־כׇּל־מוּל בְּעׇרְלָה:
22… the mighty man glory in his might, Let not the rich man glory in his riches; 23But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth Me, That I am the LORD who exercise mercy, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these things I delight, Saith the LORD. 24Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them that are circumcised …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 9
On the words
ישלח דברו וימסם
How it connects
“He sends forth His word and melts them”: Shemini Atzeres.our note
The source
Psalms 147:18תהילים קמ״ז:י״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)17מַשְׁלִיךְ קַרְחוֹ כְפִתִּים לִפְנֵי קָרָתוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד: 18יִשְׁלַח דְּבָרוֹ וְיַמְסֵם יַשֵּׁב רוּחוֹ יִזְּלוּ־מָיִם: 19מַגִּיד דְּבָרָו לְיַעֲקֹב חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל:
17He casteth forth His ice like crumbs; Who can stand before His cold? 18He sendeth forth His word, and melteth them; He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19He declareth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 10
On the words
המשלח מעיינים
How it connects
“He sends forth springs”: the flow of Chochmah, explained in section four.our note
The source
Psalms 104:10תהילים ק״ד:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9גְּבוּל־שַׂמְתָּ בַּל־יַעֲבֹרוּן בַּל־יְשֻׁבוּן לְכַסּוֹת הָאָרֶץ: 10הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ מַעְיָנִים בַּנְּחָלִים בֵּין הָרִים יְהַלֵּכוּן: 11יַשְׁקוּ כׇּל־חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי יִשְׁבְּרוּ פְרָאִים צְמָאָם:
9… bound which they should not pass over, That they might not return to cover the earth. 10Who sendest forth springs into the valleys; They run between the mountains; 11They give drink to every beast of the field, The wild asses quench their thirst. .
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 11
On the words
בשלח פרעה
How it connects
“When Pharaoh sent the people”: the growth that comes from refining the sparks.our note
The source
Exodus 13:17שמות י״ג:י״זSefaria (opens in a new tab)16וְהָיָה לְאוֹת עַל־יָדְכָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ כִּי בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ Havayah מִמִּצְרָיִם: 17וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת־הָעָם וְלֹא־נָחָם אֱלֹקִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹקִים פֶּן־יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָיְמָה: 18וַיַּסֵּב אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הָעָם דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר יַם־סוּף וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:
16… between your eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.’ 17And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said: 'Lest the people regret when they see war, and they return to Egypt.’ 18But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 12
On the words
שגם בהשוב יהיה כלול רצוא
How it connects
The note quotes this maamar’s reading: “that even in the shov (of Shemini Atzeres) there be included the ratzo (of Rosh HaShanah).”our note
Where the note points
Maamar beginning “Bayom HaShemini Shalach,” 5741, of the Rebbeד״ה ביום השמיני שלח תשמ״אnote 91
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
”שגם בהשוב (דשמע״צ) יהי׳ כלול רצוא (דר״ה)” — ד״ה ביום השמיני שלח — תשמ״א (הנ״ל) הערה 91.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 13
On the words
ב״ן מתברר ועולה
How it connects
A maamar in Likkutei Torah on Bechukosai that discusses how the Name Ban is refined and rises, which the summary mentions here.our note
Where the note points
Likkutei Torahלקוטי תורהBechukosai 47c (and the places cited there) · not yet checked
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ע״ל בחקותי (מז, ג). וש״נ. [כ].
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 14
On the words
ברוב עם הדרת מלך
How it connects
“In the multitude of people is the King’s splendor”: G‑d’s kingship is glorified through His people.our note
The source
Proverbs 14:28משלי י״ד:כ״חSefaria (opens in a new tab)27יִרְאַת ה׳ מְקוֹר חַיִּים לָסוּר מִמֹּקְשֵׁי מָוֶת: 28בְּרׇב־עָם הַדְרַת־מֶלֶךְ וּבְאֶפֶס לְאֹם מְחִתַּת רָזוֹן: 29אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם רַב־תְּבוּנָה וּקְצַר־רוּחַ מֵרִים אִוֶּלֶת:
27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. 28In the multitude of people is the king’s glory; But in the want of people is the ruin of the prince. 29He that is slow to anger is of great understanding; But he that is hasty of …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
משלי יד, כח.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 15
On the words
הדר מלכותו
How it connects
“The glorious splendor of His kingship.”our note
The source
Psalms 145:12תהילים קמ״ה:י״בSefaria (opens in a new tab)11כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתְךָ יֹאמֵרוּ וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ: 12לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָיו וּכְבוֹד הֲדַר מַלְכוּתוֹ: 13מַלְכוּתְךָ מַלְכוּת כׇּל־עֹלָמִים וּמֶמְשַׁלְתְּךָ בְּכׇל־דּוֹר וָדֹר:
11They shall speak of the glory of Thy kingdom, And talk of Thy might; 12To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of His kingdom. 13Thy kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, And Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
תהלים קמה, יב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 16
On the words
ע׳ זח״ב בשלח נ״ד א׳ ע״פ אז ישיר
How it connects
The note quotes Or HaTorah’s summary of this Zohar: az means the time when the light of Atika Kadisha shines in its engraved crowns in the letters of az.our note
Where the note points
Or HaTorah, by the Tzemach Tzedekאור התורהVayikra, vol. 3, p. 825; also Eikev, p. 585
Our explanationThis supports reading the alef of az as Atik, revealed on Shemini Atzeres.
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
”דפי׳ אז הוא כד אתנהיר נהירו דעתיקא קדישא בעטרוי גליפין רשימין באז” — אוה״ת ויקרא כרך ג ע׳ תתכה. וראה גם אוה״ת עקב ע׳ תקפה.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 17
On the words
אז ישיר
How it connects
“Then Moshe sang”: the Zohar explains the word az.our note
The source
Exodus 15:1שמות ט״ו:א׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)1אָז יָשִׁיר־מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַHavayah וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר אָשִׁירָה לַHavayah כִּי־גָאֹה גָּאָה סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם: 2עׇזִּי וְזִמְרָת קָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹקֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ:
1Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spoke, saying: I will sing unto the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. 2The LORD is my strength and song, And He is become my salvation; This is my …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Identified with the English translation and checked against Sefaria; not in Kehot’s notes.
- 18
On the words
ז׳ ימי הסוכות ז׳ דאז והאלף שמ״ע
How it connects
A later maamar that takes up this reading of az: the seven days of Sukkos as the zayin and Shemini Atzeres as the alef.our note
Where the note points
Maamar beginning “Bayom HaShemini,” 5747, of the Rebbe, in Kuntres Zos Chanukah 5750ד״ה ביום השמיני תשמ״ז (קונטרס זאת חנוכה תש״נ)note 33
Look for it in the Lubavitch Library (opens in a new tab)Kehot’s note
ראה ד״ה ביום השמיני — תשמ״ז (קונטרס זאת חנוכה תש״נ) הערה 33.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 19
On the words
ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע
How it connects
“And Yaakov went out from Be’er Sheva and went toward Charan”: read as the drawing from Binah to the refinement of the world.our note
The source
Genesis 28:10בראשית כ״ח:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)9וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵאל וַיִּקַּח אֶת־מָחֲלַת בַּת־יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָם אֲחוֹת נְבָיוֹת עַל־נָשָׁיו לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה: 10וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה: 11וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי־בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא:
9… had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife. 10And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. 11And he lighted upon the place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; …
Hebrew: Miqra according to the Masorah (CC-BY-SA) · English: JPS 1917 (Public Domain) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
בראשית כח, י.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
- 20
On the words
חנוכה א״ז שהנס הי׳ שהדליקו שמונה ימים
How it connects
The Talmud’s account of the Chanukah miracle, when the oil burned for eight days.our note
The source
Shabbat 21b:10שבת כ״א ב:י׳Sefaria (opens in a new tab)מַאי חֲנוּכָּה? דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: בְּכ״ה בְּכִסְלֵיו יוֹמֵי דַחֲנוּכָּה תְּמָנְיָא אִינּוּן דְּלָא לְמִסְפַּד בְּהוֹן וּדְלָא לְהִתְעַנּוֹת בְּהוֹן. שֶׁכְּשֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ יְוָונִים לַהֵיכָל טִמְּאוּ כׇּל הַשְּׁמָנִים שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל. וּכְשֶׁגָּבְרָה מַלְכוּת בֵּית חַשְׁמוֹנַאי וְנִצְּחוּם, בָּדְקוּ וְלֹא מָצְאוּ אֶלָּא פַּךְ אֶחָד שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן שֶׁהָיָה מוּנָּח בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְלֹא הָיָה בּוֹ אֶלָּא לְהַדְלִיק יוֹם אֶחָד. נַעֲשָׂה בּוֹ נֵס וְהִדְלִיקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים. לְשָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת קְבָעוּם וַעֲשָׂאוּם יָמִים טוֹבִים בְּהַלֵּל וְהוֹדָאָה.
What is Chanukkah, that our Sages taught: On the 25th of Kislev - the days of Chanukkah, they are eight, not to eulogize on them and not to fast on them? When the Greeks entered the Temple, they polluted all the oils in the Temple, and when the Hasmonean dynasty overcame and defeated them, they checked and they found but one cruse of oil that was set in place with the seal of the High Priest, but there was in it only [enough] to light a single day. A miracle was done with it, and they lit from it for eight days. The following year [the Sages] fixed those [days], making them holidays for praise and thanksgiving.
Hebrew: William Davidson, Vocalized Aramaic (CC-BY-NC) · English: Sefaria Community Translation (CC0) · via Sefaria
Kehot’s note
שבת כא, ב.
From “Sources and References”, © Kehot Publication Society (CC BY-NC), via Sefaria.
Finished the maamar?
Mark it as learned; it counts toward the week and the year’s siyum.
In one’s avodah
A person should not rest content with either stage of the dance. Shov alone, the practical keeping of mitzvos, can turn cold, so one must keep rekindling the fiery love of ratzo, especially in prayer; yet rapture alone cannot last, so that love must be carried into Torah study and mitzvos, making a dwelling for G‑d in daily life. The way there begins with honest self-reckoning, sensing one’s distance, which becomes the base for true closeness.
Questions for discussion
- How can moving away be part of drawing close, as in the circle dance? Where have you seen distance serve a relationship?
- What are the soul’s “before” and “behind,” and why does the hidden love of the inner heart never disappear?
- Why is Sukkos compared to ice and Shemini Atzeres to melting water? What does that say about the risks and the value of routine observance?
- Why does G‑d’s kingship need a “people,” and why is it drawn down through shov rather than ratzo?
- How does the switch between “Blessed” and “You” in every blessing reflect the relationship the maamar describes?
Key terms in this maamar
- The Name Havayahהוי׳
- The Tetragrammaton: G‑d as transcending time and bringing all into being.
- Life-forceחיות
- The divine vitality that sustains every creation. ×5
- The light that encompasses all worlds (sovev kol almin)סובב כל עלמין
- Divine light too great to enter the worlds; it 'surrounds' them and affects them from beyond. ×1
- The inner dimension (pnimiyus)פנימיות
- The innermost core of a level. ×9
- The outer dimension (chitzoniyus)חיצוניות
- The external, expressive aspect. ×2
- An arousal from belowאתערותא דלתתא
- Human initiative that draws down a divine response.
- The animal soulנפש הבהמית
- The soul that animates the body and its drives.
- Teshuvah (return)תשובה
- Returning to G‑d; not only repentance. ×2
- Daas (knowledge)דעת
- Deep connection to an idea, bridging intellect and emotion. ×6
- Chesed (kindness)חסד
- Expansive giving. ×7
- Chochmah (wisdom)חכמה
- The first flash of insight. ×8
- Netzach (victory)נצח
- Perseverance, the drive to overcome. ×2
- The World of Atzilus (Emanation)אצילות
- The highest world, still one with G‑d. ×3
- The World of Beriah (Creation)בריאה
- The first world of separate existence. ×5
- Binah (understanding)בינה
- Developing and grasping an insight in detail. ×6
- The intellect (mochin)מוחין
- Chochmah, Binah and Daas as a whole. ×2
- Self-nullification (bittul)ביטול
- Setting aside one's own sense of self before G‑d. ×2
- A dwelling place among the lower realmsדירה בתחתונים
- The purpose of creation: that G‑d be at home in this world. ×2
- The Infinite Light (Or Ein Sof)אור אין סוף
- G‑d's light as it is, beyond all limits, before any contraction.
- Gevurah (restraint)גבורה
- Measure, limitation and judgment. ×3
- The Holy One, blessed be Heקב״ה
- The World of Asiyah (Action)עשיה
- The lowest world, including our physical one. ×1
- Love and aweאהבה ויראה
- The two 'wings' of divine service.
- The World of Yetzirah (Formation)יצירה
- The world of the angels and emotions. ×1
- Keser (the Crown)כתר
- The level above intellect: divine will and delight. ×2
- Malchus (sovereignty)מלכות
- Kingship: the level through which G‑d's word creates and rules the worlds. ×5
- The emotive attributes (middos)מדות
- Love, awe, compassion and the rest. ×3
- The Name Elokimאלקים
- G‑d as concealed within nature, measuring and limiting. ×3