Torah Ohr · Sefer Bereishis · Shabbos November 14
פרשת תולדות
Parshas Toldos
5 maamarim of the Alter Rebbe on the parsha, in the Hebrew of the Kehot edition, with every marei makom opened right where it appears. Each small section with a faithful English translation and a short explanation.
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The maamarim 5
- אלה תולדות יצחק וגו׳ “These are the generations of Yitzchak” Avraham draws G‑dliness down from above, and Yitzchak raises the created world up to G‑d in awe and self-nullification; the ascent from below is unlimited, but it can come about only when it is “born” of the light drawn down from above.
- מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות את האהבה וגו׳… Many waters cannot quench the love The soul's love for G‑d cannot be satisfied by any revealed understanding, not even the delights of Gan Eden (the “rivers”); it is quenched only by G‑d's own essence, the hidden “spring,” which is drawn down through Torah and practical mitzvos after the animal soul has been refined.
- ביאור על הנ״ל An Explanation of the Above There are two kinds of Daas: lower Daas, which binds understanding into the emotions and refines them, and upper Daas, which draws the undivided emotions of Keser (ahavah rabbah) down, and higher still, draws the Torah’s “wealth” from the first three Sefiros of Keser. That Torah-wealth, fully revealed in the Time to Come, is what quenches even the love that is above reason.
- ויחפרו עבדי יצחק בנחל כו׳ “And Yitzchak’s servants dug in the valley… a well that princes dug” The G‑dliness a person draws down in the morning through the Shema, prayer and Torah study goes “underground” during a day of worldly business; mitzvos done with a humbled heart bring it up again as a well of living water, all the sweeter for having passed through the earth of the body.
- ראה ריח בני כריח שדה אשר ברכו ה׳ “See, the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field” Yitzchak wanted to reveal a great encompassing light in Esav himself, but such light can transform darkness only through Yaakov. Yaakov, receiving the blessing "by guile," drew a light beyond the whole order of the worlds down into physical Torah and mitzvos.
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.