Parshas Vayikra

The maamarim 5

1. 1 ויקרא אל משה וגו׳ “And He called to Moshe” The small alef of Vayikra is a calling: a contracted light drawn from the cloud of “He made darkness His hiding place,” so high that no created angel could carry it, so G‑d Himself called and spoke. In every person this happens through the mitzvos, which lift the soul (“I am the One who calls”), and through Torah study, which turns the hidden “darkness” into light (“I am the One who speaks”). Maamar 1.36 paragraphs~1 h 15 min218 sourcesEnglish
2. 2 אדם כי יקריב מכם וגו׳ “A man, when he brings near of you” Leviticus 1:2 describes two movements: “A man, when he brings near of you” is the Supernal Man, G‑d clothed in the Sefiros, drawing the G‑dly soul near with an arousal from above, and “from the animals you shall bring near your offering” is each person’s own refinement of his animal soul. Inspiration from above lasts only when it is answered at once by that work from below. Maamar 2.28 paragraphs~50 min160 sourcesEnglish
3. 3 לבאר הדברים ענין אדם כי יקריב מכם וענין… “To explain the words: ‘A man, when he brings near of you’” The verse “A man, when he brings near of you… from the animal… you shall bring near your offering” describes the two self-sacrifices of the Shema: the G‑dly soul, contemplating G‑d’s essence beyond all worlds, gives itself over in “One” and is absorbed into the supernal Man and the hidden Atika within it, while the animal soul, contemplating how G‑d gives life to the worlds through His kingship, is subdued and transformed in “with all your soul” and, once refined, rises even higher. A second reading finds both “man” (Mah) and “animal” (Ban) within the G‑dly soul itself, to be joined in “And unite our hearts.” Maamar 3.13 paragraphs~40 min99 sourcesEnglish
4. 4 ולא תשבית מלח וגו׳ “And you shall not omit salt” Salt has no taste of its own yet brings out the taste of what it touches, because it is rooted in the gevuros of Abba, which become kindness below, and in the refining power of Chochmah. So too the hidden wisdom of the Torah, the Kabbalah, is not itself “tasted,” yet it gives taste to all of the Torah; and salt, the refining power of Chochmah, must accompany every offering, as the covenant that binds Creator and creation. Maamar 4.3 paragraphs~15 min33 sourcesEnglish
5. 5 ביאור הדברים הנ״ל ע״פ ולא תשבית מלח וגו׳ An Explanation of the Above, on “And You Shall Not Omit the Salt” The essence of the soul, which is above intellect, is united with the essence of G‑d through Torah study, because the Infinite Light is clothed in the Torah’s wisdom. The revealed Torah is “bread,” whose essence the mind can grasp; the inner Torah is “salt,” which has no taste of its own yet gives the whole its taste, brings fear of sin, and refines and elevates the animal soul. Maamar 5.Biur71 paragraphs~2 h 55 min360 sourcesEnglish

The Rebbe’s maamarim on this parsha 4

The Rebbe built 4 of his maamarim (5725–5742) on the Alter Rebbe’s maamarim of this parsha. Each maamar’s page summarizes them, with what the Rebbe adds; or see them all together.

• Maamar 1ויקרא אל משה וגו׳2 maamarim · 5736–5740
• Maamar 2אדם כי יקריב מכם וגו׳1 maamar · 5742
• Maamar 4ולא תשבית מלח וגו׳1 maamar · 5725

Learn it in seven days Sunday to Shabbos

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

1. SUNMaamar 1, ¶1–20~51 min
2. MONMaamar 1 ¶21 – maamar 2 ¶14~50 min
3. TUEMaamar 2 ¶15 – maamar 3 ¶9~51 min
4. WEDMaamar 3 ¶10 – maamar 5 ¶4~49 min
5. THUMaamar 5, ¶5–25~54 min
6. FRIMaamar 5, ¶26–48~50 min
7. SHABMaamar 5, ¶49–71~51 min