24-Elul-2008 Rosh Hashanah Farbrengen

Tonight! 24-September, 7pm SLT, Please join us Yeshiva Modim for a Rosh Hashanah Farbrengen! Come gather with us as we retell Hassidic Stories, share our own experiences and learn some of the Laws/customs of Rosh Hashanah as codified by the Shulcah Arucah HaRav.

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When G-d is To Be Found
On the verse,[362] “Seek G-d when He is to be found,” our Sages comment:[363] “These are the 10 days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.”

The wording of our Sages’ statement is problematic. On one hand, the expression “the 10 days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur,” seems to imply that Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are not included in these days.[364] Nevertheless, the expression “These are the 10 days…” indicates that Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are indeed included in the count, for there are only seven days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

This compels us to understand that there are two elements to the observance of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur: a) an essential quality which transcends the service of teshuvah, and b) the service of teshuvah which characterizes all 10 days.

First, our Divine service must center on the essential aspect of Rosh HaShanah. Afterwards comes the aspect associated with teshuvah. Thus, there are 10 days of teshuvah between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, for the aspect of teshuvah associated with Rosh HaShanah comes after the essential aspect of Rosh HaShanah.[365]

Making Him King
Teshuvah transcends all other mitzvos. It can thus atone for all blemishes in the observance of mitzvos, for it reaches a deeper point in the soul than is reached by the other mitzvos.[366] And as mentioned above, since the essential aspect comes before the service of teshuvah, it follows that this aspect of Rosh HaShanah transcends even teshuvah.

What is the essential aspect of Rosh HaShanah? The coronation of G-d as King. Thus our Sages quote[367] G-d as asking: “Say before Me… verses reflecting My Kingship to make Me King over you.”

Until we have accepted G-d as King, serving Him through the observance of mitzvos is not relevant. And so our Sages quote G-d as saying:[368] “Accept My Kingship, and afterwards accept My decrees.” Therefore teshuvah, which serves to atone for failures in fulfilling the King’s decrees, is relevant only after His Kingship is accepted.

Our acceptance of G-d as King relates to His essence — a level above all revelations. The observance of the mitzvos relates to G-d’s will as it has come into revelation, for all the mitzvos are expressions of His will.

Teshuvah, which atones for transgressions of His will, relates to a higher level of G-dliness, but one which still shares a connection to His will.[369] For a level which totally transcends G-d’s will must also transcend the service which repents for transgressions of that will. Thus teshuvah still relates to revealed levels of G-dliness. The acceptance of G-d as King, however, relates to G-d’s essence, which transcends all revelations.[370]

From this, we can appreciate the uniqueness of the souls of the Jewish people — that they can affect G-d’s very essence and evoke in Him a desire to be King. To be able to affect G-d’s essence, however, it is necessary to express the inner bittul that lies at the center of every Jewish soul.[371] This is expressed in our request of G-d:[372] “Reign over the entire world in Your glory.”

“Head of the Year”
Names employed by the Torah are chosen because they describe the true nature of the things to which they refer, expressing their very life-force.[373] This also applies to Rosh HaShanah, which literally means “head of the year.”[374]

The head has several unique aspects:

1. The head is the most elevated and sophisticated of all the body’s limbs;

2. The head includes the life-energy for all the limbs of the body within it; and

3. The head directs the functioning of all the limbs.

Parallels to all three qualities apply with regard to Rosh HaShanah:

1. The Divine service which characterizes Rosh HaShanah — the crowning of G-d as King — affects G-d’s essence, a level which is above the Divine service carried out throughout the year.

2. Rosh HaShanah is also a day of teshuvah. Teshuvah relates to the mitzvos, but stands above them. Indeed, it can be said to include them.

3. The good resolutions made on Rosh HaShanah influence one’s observance of mitzvos in the year to come, affecting them as the head directs the limbs of the body.

The Shofar’s Message
With regard to Rosh HaShanah, it is said:[375] “The mitzvah of the day involves the shofar.” Based on the above explanations, it follows that all three factors mentioned above — the coronation of G-d, teshuvah, and the observance of the mitzvos — are reflected in the sounding of the shofar.[376] And, as is true with regard to all matters of P’nimiyus HaTorah, this concept is also alluded to in Nigleh, the revealed dimension of Torah law.

In Hilchos Teshuvah,[377] the Rambam writes:

Although the sounding of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a decree from the Torah, it also contains an allusion. [It is as if the shofar is saying:] “Awake…. Turn to G-d in teshuvah.

A question arises: Why does the Rambam state this concept in Hilchos Teshuvah rather than in Hilchos Shofar? Although the Rambam is speaking about teshuvah, since he is explaining the motivating principle for the mitzvah of shofar, seemingly, it would have been more appropriate to include it in Hilchos Shofar.

To cite a parallel: The Rambam concludes his Hilchos Mikvaos[378] with an explanation of the motivating principle for immersion in a mikveh:

These are decrees of the Torah…. Nevertheless, there is an allusion to the concept… to purify one’s soul from its impurity and base character traits…. by immersion in the waters of pure knowledge.

This concept, though related to the Divine service of teshuvah, is stated in Hilchos Mikvaos and not in Hilchos Teshuvah because it describes the rationale for immersion in the mikveh. Why then is the rationale for sounding the shofar not explained in Hilchos Shofar?

The Rambam’s statements also provoke another question: The Talmud states:6 “Say before Me… verses reflecting My Kingship to make Me King over you. By what means? Via the shofar.” The shofar is thus the medium which brings about the coronation of G-d.[379]

Why does the Rambam not mention this allusion?

The answer to these questions requires that we understand three elements involved in the sounding of the shofar:

1. The mitzvah of sounding the shofar, as expressed in all the particular laws which apply to it. The Rambam considers this as one of the 613 mitzvos, and mentions these laws in Hilchos Shofar.

2. The concept of teshuvah. This is alluded to by the sounding of the shofar. Teshuvah reflects a rung above the observance of mitzvos. To point to this quality, the Rambam mentions this concept in Hilchos Teshuvah, and not in Hilchos Shofar. Hilchos Shofar contains a description of the laws of sounding the shofar. It does not mention teshuvah, for this dimension transcends the mitzvos and is only alluded to by the shofar.[380]

This is reflected in the wording used by the Rambam: “Although the sounding of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is a decree from the Torah.” In other words, although it is fundamentally a mitzvah, “it also contains an allusion,” i.e., it refers to teshuvah, which transcends the mitzvos.

3. The aspect of sounding the shofar which brings about G-d’s coronation. This aspect transcends the mitzvah of sounding the shofar entirely, and cannot be communicated even by an allusion. For an allusion reflects a thrust toward revelation, while the coronation of G-d, by contrast, brings forth the bittul that lies at the foundation of the soul [which is entirely above revelation].[381]

Choosing Freely
Based on the above, we can appreciate the connection between the sounding of the shofar and the verse:[382] “He chooses our heritage for us,” which is recited before the sounding of the shofar.

In an ultimate sense, free choice involves choosing without regard to any factor or consideration other than the initiative of the one who chooses. When a person’s choice is motivated by a reason, it is as if that reason forced him to choose; this cannot be considered free choice.[383]

How then can G-d’s “choos[ing of] our heritage for us” be associated with the sounding of the shofar? If His choice is dependent on the sounding of the shofar, how can it be considered free?

These questions can be answered by referring to the above concepts. The two aspects of sounding the shofar associated with the performance of the mitzvah and the Divine service of teshuvah do not relate to G-d’s essence. Instead, they draw down merely the revealed aspects of G-dliness — an arousal from above that is dependent on an arousal from below.

The bittul of the soul’s essence, which is expressed by the coronation of G-d through the sounding of the shofar, relates to G-d’s essence, tapping that level of the soul on which Jews are one with G-d. And at that level, G-d chooses the Jews freely; the sounding of the shofar is not what causes Him to choose.[384]

Unlimited Blessing
G-d’s essence knows no bounds. Since the influence drawn down by the sounding of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is rooted in G-d’s essence, this influence is not restricted by any limitations of the spiritual cosmos. The influence is drawn down precisely as He desires it to be. And what He desires is certainly good, as it is written:[385] “In the countenance of the King, there is life.” Penai, translated here as “countenance,” also means “inner dimension.” Thus any desire emanating from G-d’s inner dimension will surely be associated with life and goodness.

This will be revealed on the material plane, for G-d’s essence is connected to our material reality. And so it is that every Jew will be inscribed for a good and sweet year, filled with open and apparent blessings.

(Adapted from Sichos Rosh HaShanah and Sichos Simchas Beis HaShoevah, 5723)

Notes:

362. Yeshayahu 55:6.

363. Rosh HaShanah 18a.

364. Compare to Taanis 5a; see also S’dei Chemed, Klallim Beis, sec. 72.

365. Similarly, there are two dimensions to Yom Kippur: a) the aspect of teshuvah; and b) its essential quality, which is revealed at the conclusion of the Ten Days of Teshuvah. See the sichah for Yom Kippur in this series.

366. See Likkutei Torah, Vayikra, p. 26c; Derech Mitzvosecha, Mitzvas Vidui U’Teshuvah. On this basis, it is possible to explain why, in his reckoning of the 613 mitzvos in Sefer HaMitzvos, the Rambam does not count teshuvah (focusing on vidui, confession, instead). For teshuvah transcends all the mitzvos, and includes them all. Thus it can be considered a general command, and is not included in the reckoning of the 613 mitzvos (Sefer HaMitzvos, General Principle 4).

One cannot argue that teshuvah should be counted as one of the mitzvos because it involves a particular deed (see pgs. 89-90 above). For teshuvah possesses two dimensions:

1. Its essential quality is the sinner’s resolution to observe the Torah and its mitzvos in the future. This parallels other commands of a general nature, such as “be holy” (Vayikra 19:2), and

2. Regret over one’s past deeds. This parallels the general command “Do not stiffen your necks any longer” (Devarim 10:16). As Sefer HaMitzvos (loc. cit.) mentions, both of these thrusts are general in nature.

The aspect of teshuvah that involves deed is the act of vidui, confession. And the Rambam does count confession as one of the mitzvos (positive mitzvah 73).

367. Rosh HaShanah 16a; 34b.

368. Mechilta, Shmos 20:3; Toras Kohanim, Acharei, ch. 13; Yalkut Shimoni to Shmos, loc. cit.

369. For this reason, in several texts of Chassidus (e.g., the series of maamarim beginning Rosh HaShanah, 5691), teshuvah is described as relating to “the depths of His will,” or to “the Master of the will.”

370. See the explanation of this concept in the series of maamarim beginning Rosh HaShanah, 5703.

371. When the essence of a Jewish soul is revealed, it draws down G-d’s essence, or becomes a vehicle for that essence which is rooted in it. (See the maamar entitled Mi E-l Kamocho, 5627, sec. 2.)

372. Rosh HaShanah liturgy, Siddur Tehillat HaShem, p. 274.

373. Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 1.

374. See Likkutei Torah, Devarim 41c; Ateres Rosh, in the beginning.

375. Rosh HaShanah 27a.

376. On this basis, we can appreciate the explanation in the maamar of the Alter Rebbe entitled B’Chochmah Yivneh Bayis [5564] (printed in 5722; see also the other maamarim cited there) regarding the rationale for the recitation of Malchiyos, Zichronos, and Shofros: “In order for the influence [of the mitzvah] to be maintained, it is necessary that it be sealed by the Torah.”

On the surface, this is problematic, for with regard to other mitzvos, it is not necessary to bring proof from the Torah. Why then is this necessary with regard to sounding the shofar?

The situation can be explained as follows: A seal is necessary when influence is drawn from a level which transcends the spiritual cosmos, as is the case with teshuvah, and certainly with regard to the crowning of G-d.

This also explains the continuation of the maamar: “As we see with regard to the mysteries and secrets of the Torah in the Zohar, the author of these concepts would always quote a verse from the Torah as support. For without [such support], the mystic secrets he taught could not be maintained.”

In this instance as well, since the mystic secrets reflect the dimension of the Torah which transcends the limits of the spiritual cosmos, support from a Torah verse is necessary.

377. Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 3:4.

378. Apparently, there is a printing error in the standard text of the Mishneh Torah. It would seem that the text in Mikvaos should read: “When he immerses himself in the waters of pure knowledge, he becomes pure.”

379. This is the simple meaning of the quote from Rosh HaShanah cited previously. Similarly, this is one of the intentions which we are to have in mind when performing the mitzvah of sounding the shofar, as stated in Likkutei Torah, Devarim 56d, and other Chassidic texts. See also I Melachim 1:39 [which speaks about sounding a shofar at the coronation of a mortal king.]

The Tosefta (Rosh HaShanah 1:11) mentions other reasons for sounding the shofar. These and similar reasons in other statements by our Sages reflect other dimensions of the mitzvah.

380. The allusion reflected by immersion in the mikveh is, by contrast, mentioned in Hilchos Mikvaos because it is of a more particular nature. Although the mikveh is intended to purify blemishes, it involves “the purification of one’s soul… from base character traits…. by immersion in the waters of pure knowledge,” and not an all-encompassing movement of teshuvah. Therefore it relates to Hilchos Mikvaos.

381. The allusion to this quality in the shofar is in the fact that it is narrow at its lower end. This narrowness is not a result of sin, but rather a reflection of the fact that the person feels as a separate and lowly entity, rather than an extension of G-d’s unbounded essence where his soul has its roots. This therefore affects G-d’s essence. See the conclusion of the maamar entitled Shir HaMaalos, 5703, and the conclusion of the series of maamarim beginning Rosh HaShanah, 5695.

382. Tehillim 47:4.

383. See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. IV, p. 1309 and pgs. 1340-1342.

384. See the maamar entitled Yivchar Lanu, 5703, sec. 14, which states: “Drawing down [G-d's] will from [His essence] is not an imperative, for this comes from His essence, which is not prompted by an arousal at all.”

385. Mishlei 16:15.

Gittin Blat 68
R. Johanan said: There were three hundred kinds of demons in Shihin, but what a shidah is I do not know.

The Master said: Here they translate ‘male and female demons’. For what did Solomon want them? — As indicated in the verse, And the house when it was in building was made of stone made ready at the quarry, [there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building];  He said to the Rabbis, How shall I manage [without iron tools]? — They replied, There is the shamir which Moses brought for the stones of the ephod. He asked them, Where is it to be found? — They replied, Bring a male and a female demon and tie them together; perhaps they know and will tell you. So he brought a male and a female demon and tied them together. They said to him, We do not know, but perhaps Ashmedai the prince of the demons knows. He said to them, Where is he? — They answered, He is in such-and-such a mountain. He has dug a pit there, which he fills with water and covers with a stone, which he then seals with his seal. Every day he goes up to heaven and studies in the Academy of the sky and then he comes down to earth and studies in the Academy of the earth, and then he goes and examines his seal and opens [the pit] and drinks and then closes it and seals it again and goes away. Solomon thereupon sent thither Benaiahu son of Jehoiada, giving him a chain on which was graven the [Divine] Name and a ring on which was graven the Name and fleeces of wool and bottles of wine. Benaiahu went and dug a pit lower down the hill and let the water flow into it  and stopped [the hollow] With the fleeces of wool, and he then dug a pit higher up and poured the wine into it  and then filled up the pits. He then went and sat on a tree. When Ashmedai came he examined the seal, then opened the pit and found it full of wine. He said, it is written, Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whosoever erreth thereby is not wise,  and it is also written, Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.  I will not drink it. Growing thirsty, however, he could not resist, and he drank till he became drunk, and fell asleep. Benaiahu then came down and threw the chain over him and fastened it. When he awoke he began to struggle, whereupon he [Benaiahu] said, The Name of thy Master is upon thee, the Name of thy Master is upon thee. As he was bringing him along, he came to a palm tree and rubbed against it and down it came. He came to a house and knocked it down. He came to the hut of a certain widow. She came out

and besought him, and he bent down so as not to touch it, thereby breaking a bone. He said, That bears out the verse, A soft tongue breaketh the bone  He saw a blind man straying from his way and he put him on the right path. He saw a drunken man losing his way and he put him on his path. He saw a wedding procession making its way merrily and he wept. He heard a man say to a shoemaker, Make me a pair of shoes that will last seven years, and he laughed. He saw a diviner practising divinations and he laughed. When they reached Jerusalem he was not taken to see Solomon for three days. On the first day he asked, Why does the king not want to see me? They replied, Because he has overdrunk himself. So he took a brick and placed it on top of another. When they reported this to Solomon he said to them, What he meant to tell you was, Give him more to drink. On the next day he said to them, Why does the king not want to see me? They replied, Because he has over-eaten himself. He thereupon took one brick from off the other and placed it on the ground. When they reported this to Solomon, he said, He meant to tell you to keep food away from me. After three days he went in to see him. He took a reed and measured four cubits and threw it in front of him, saying, See now, when you die you will have no more than four cubits in this world. Now, however, you have subdued the whole world, yet you are not satisfied till you subdue me too. He replied: I want nothing of you. What I want is to build the Temple and I require the shamir. He said: It is not in my hands, it is in the hands of the Prince of the Sea who gives it only to the woodpecker,  to whom he trusts it on oath. What does the bird do with it? — He takes it to a mountain where there is no cultivation and puts it on the edge of the rock which thereupon splits, and he then takes seeds from trees and brings them and throws them into the opening and things grow there. (This is what the Targum means by nagar tura).  So they found out a woodpecker’s nest with young in it, and covered it over with white glass. When the bird came it wanted to get in but could not, so it went and brought the shamir and placed it on the glass. Benaiahu thereupon gave a shout, and it dropped [the shamir] and he took it, and the bird went and committed suicide on account of its oath.

Benaiahu said to Ashmedai, Why when you saw that blind man going out of his way did you put him right? He replied: It has been proclaimed of him in heaven that he is a wholly righteous man, and that whoever does him a kindness will be worthy of the future world. And why when you saw the drunken man going out of his way did you put him right? He replied, They have proclaimed concerning him in heaven that he is wholly wicked, and I conferred a boon on him in order that he may consume [here] his share [in the future].  Why when you saw the wedding procession did you weep? He said: The husband will die within thirty days, and she will have to wait for the brother-in-law who is still a child of thirteen years.  Why, when you heard a man say to the shoemaker, Make me shoes to last seven years, did you laugh? He replied: That man has not seven days to live, and he wants shoes for seven years! Why when you saw that diviner divining did you laugh? He said: He was sitting on a royal treasure: he should have divined what was beneath him.

Solomon kept him with him until he had built the Temple. One day when he was alone with him, he said, it is written, He hath as it were to’afoth and re’em,  and we explain that to’afoth means the ministering angels and re’em means the demons.  What is your superiority over us?  He said to him, Take the chain off me and give me your ring, and I will show you. So he took the chain off him and gave him the ring. He then swallowed him, and placing one wing on the earth and one on the sky he hurled him four hundred parasangs. In reference to that incident Solomon said, What profit is there to a man in all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun.

And this was my portion from all my labour.  What is referred to by ‘this’? — Rab and Samuel gave different answers, one saying that it meant his staff and the other that it meant his apron.  He used to go round begging, saying wherever he went, I Koheleth was king over Israel in Jerusalem.  When he came to the Sanhedrin, the Rabbis said: Let us see, a madman does not stick to one thing only.  What is the meaning of this? They asked Benaiahu, Does the king send for you? He replied, No. They sent to the queens saying, Does the king visit you? They sent back word, Yes, he does. They then sent to them to say, Examine his leg.  They sent back to say, He comes in stockings, and he visits them in the time of their separation and he also calls for Bathsheba his mother. They then sent for Solomon and gave him the chain and the ring on which the Name was engraved. When he went in, Ashmedai on catching sight of him flew away, but he remained in fear of him, therefore is it written, Behold it is the litter of Solomon, threescore mighty met, are about it of the mighty men of Israel. They all handle the sword and are expert in war, every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

Rab and Samuel differed [about Solomon]. One said that Solomon was first a king and then a commoner,  and the other that he was first a king and then a commoner and then a king again.

One of the 613
Parshas Ki Savo contains the command:[285] “And you shall walk in His ways.” The Rambam counts this as one of the 613 mitzvos,[286] and explains that it charges us “to resemble Him according to our capacity,” and to follow His ways, as our Sages state:[287]

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is gracious, so too you should be gracious. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called merciful, so too you should be merciful. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is pious, so too you should be pious.

When outlining the general principles that govern his reckoning of the 613 mitzvos, the Rambam states[288] that he does not include charges of a general nature, such as “you shall keep My statutes”[289] or “be holy,”[290] because they do not involve a specific activity, but instead refer to general patterns of conduct. Seemingly, the mitzvah of emulating G-d’s ways also seems to be general in nature. Although it contains several particulars — to be gracious, merciful and pious — these particulars are seemingly included in the mitzvah to perform deeds of kindness.[291] Were one to interpret the charge to emulate His ways as a more general command, it would encompass all the mitzvos, for they are all G-d’s ways, and He observes them all.[292] Thus the mitzvah to emulate G-d’s ways does not appear to be a particular command. Why then does the Rambam include it in his reckoning of the mitzvos?

We are forced to conclude that there is a particular dimension to this mitzvah which does not exist in other mitzvos, and that this causes the Rambam to include it as one of the 613.[293] For example, the commandment:[294] “And you shall serve G-d,” is general in nature, for every commandment involves a deed of service. Nevertheless, this charge is interpreted as referring specifically to prayer, and therefore is included as one of the 613 mitzvos.[295]

Not to Stand in One Place
The unique dimension of the mitzvah to “walk in G-d’s ways” is contained in the word “walk,” which indicates progression. A person may observe the Torah and its mitzvos without making any progress. He is merely standing in one place; his spiritual status is no different than it was before he observed the mitzvos.

This mitzvah teaches that a person should observe the mitzvos in a manner that moves him forward. The spur for this spiritual progress is the fact that the mitzvos are “G-d’s ways,” and so by “walking in them,” one emulates Him. This invests the mitzvos with the potential to lift a person to a higher level of Divine service.

Mitzvos always elevate and refine the person who observes them, even when he does not observe them in a manner that leads to spiritual progress. Indeed, even when a person observes mitzvos without the proper intent, his spiritual state changes. But these changes are not openly revealed. When a person observes the mitzvah of “walking in G-d’s ways,” his Divine service brings overt spiritual progress.

Unlimited Progress
It is written:[296] “I will make you one who goes among those who stand.” Chassidus[297] explains that the phrase “those who stand” refers to the angels, and also to souls before their descent into this material world. It is our observance of the Torah and its mitzvos on the material plane which distinguishes us from them and gives us the ability to progress.

Chassidus further explains[298] that both angels and souls are also constantly ascending from level to level. They are, nevertheless, considered to be “standing,” because their progress is gradual; all the levels are related to each other. No matter how high they reach, they have still not gone entirely beyond their original level.

The potential for progress which souls are granted through their descent to this physical plane, by contrast, is unlimited. This concept also applies to the command to “walk in G-d’s ways.” Our observance of the mitzvos must enable not only measured spiritual progress, but an infinite advance.

Two questions arise:

1. Every created being is by nature limited. How can a person’s limited Divine service bring about unlimited progress?

2. Once a person taps an unlimited level, how can he return to his limited Divine service? Seemingly, this should take him above the mortal plane entirely.

The definition of this commandment as “walking in G-d’s ways” resolves both these questions, for G-d represents ultimate transcendence; absolutely nothing is beyond His power,[299] and He fuses together opposites, joining limitation and infinity. Therefore a mortal can tap an unlimited potential for progress, yet that unlimited progress will not prevent him from continuing his mortal existence.

Not Bread of Shame
G-d desires that all of a person’s spiritual peaks come as a result of his own efforts. Giving a person influence from above that is not dependent on his own work is not a complete expression of good. On the contrary, a person will regard it as “bread of shame.”[300] It thus follows that the peaks which a person can reach by “walking in G-d’s ways” must also be attainable through our Divine service. Yet the explanation given above — that our limited Divine service can enable us to reach unlimited peaks — appears to depend on G-d’s beneficence.

Our spiritual progress does not follow a two-stage pattern. It is not that a person proceeds to the limit of his mortal powers and then G-d lifts him to unlimited plateaus. Instead, the intent is that because G-d can fuse opposites, He makes it possible for the limited Divine service of a mortal to reach unlimited heights. Nevertheless, since the unlimited progress which man thus attains does not come about as a result of his own labor, this appears to run contrary to G-d’s intent that all of man’s spiritual achievements be attained through his own effort.[301] This forces us to redefine the concepts stated above so that it is clear that the infinite progress achieved by man comes as a result of his own initiative.

Uncovering Our G-dly Core
To explain: The mitzvos become G-d’s ways, invested with His unlimited power, when their observance is motivated by the essence of the soul, which is “an actual part of G-d.”[302] A Jew’s Divine service draws the essence of his soul into a particular mitzvah. This is the intent of the words of the Midrash: “so too, you should be gracious… so too, you should be merciful… so too, you should be pious.” “You” refers to the essence of the soul, expressed in the simple faith and self-sacrifice which transcend intellectual understanding.

When a person’s Divine service is motivated by these qualities, it causes G-d’s essence to be drawn down and be manifested as graciousness, mercy, and piety. Thus it is man’s efforts that bring about the potential for unlimited progress.[303]

Body and Soul Together
As mentioned above with regard to our walking in G-d’s ways, there are two expressions of His unbounded potential:

1. The limited service of a mortal will elevate him to unlimited peaks;

2. Despite being elevated to these peaks, man will retain his mortal frame of reference.

As mentioned above, all of a Jew’s attainments must come about because of his Divine service. It is also man’s efforts that enable him to remain within his limited framework of reference despite being elevated to these peaks.

In truth, the life-energy of a Jew stems from his G-dly soul;[304] it is just that this energy passes through the animal soul in order to give life to the body.

Although the body is a limited physical entity stemming from kelipas nogah, while the soul is “an actual part of G-d,” the two should ultimately work in harmony. Not only will the body not be negated by the soul, the soul should endow it with life.

Nevertheless, this G-dly life-energy is hidden, and it is the responsibility of each person to realize and reveal this potential through his Divine service. He should come to the awareness that every one of his limb derives its life-energy from the G-dly soul.

This will lead to a heightened spiritual consciousness. We see that the body responds immediately to the will of the soul; as soon as a person decides to do something, his body performs that activity.[305] Similarly, when a Jew removes the veils that conceal his soul and appreciates the true source of his life-energy, he will spontaneously respond to the soul’s desires. To refer to a passage from the Jerusalem Talmud:[306] “When one reaches the prayer modim, one bows as a reflex action.”

When a Jew, through his Divine service, reveals the connection between body and soul, and realizes that his physical body derives its life-energy from the G-dly soul, he draws down G-d’s essence. He ascends to the highest peaks, and experiences these spiritual heights while living in a material body.

To Cling To Him
Not everyone is able to give himself over to G-d in such a complete fashion as to cause all the limbs of his body to spontaneously respond to the desires of the G-dly soul. For this reason, the command to “walk in G-d’s ways” is prefaced (– and the sequence is important –) by the command:[307] “And you shall cling to Him,” interpreted[308] to mean “cling to the sages and their students.” The Hebrew term for “sages,” chachamim, indicates self-transcendence, for chochmah, can be divided into the words koach mah, the potential for bittul.[309] This makes a person a chariot for G-dliness, an instrument of G-d’s will with no independent desires.

When a person clings to the sages, they serve as his head,[310] as it were. By clinging to them it is considered as if he clings to the Divine Presence itself,26 and his body becomes a medium for the light of the soul, as explained above.[311]

The commandment to cling to G-d is of a general nature, implying that one should attach oneself to Him by clinging to the sages and their students. This gives one the ability to follow G-d’s infinite ways. Nevertheless, “walking in G-d’s ways” means observing the mitzvos, for the mitzvos draw down G-d’s essence.

By observing the mitzvos because they are G-d’s ways, and underscoring that this is the manner in which we can resemble Him, the essential G-dliness vested in the mitzvos is revealed. “Clinging to G-d” leads to “walking in His ways,” making this an ongoing process, for “the righteous have no rest… as it is written:[312] ‘And they shall go from strength to strength,’”[313] until they reach the ultimate peak — “the day which is all Shabbos and rest for life everlasting.”[314]

(Adapted from Sichos Yud Shvat. 5721)

Notes:

285. Devarim 28:9.

286. Sefer HaMitzvos, positive mitzvah 8; Mishneh Torah, Hilchos De’os 1:5, based on Sotah 14a; quoted by the Shulchan Aruch HaRav 154:3.

287. Sifri, Eikev 11:22, quoted with slightly different wording by the Rambam, loc. cit.:6, Shulchan Aruch HaRav, loc. cit. See also Mechilta, Beshallach 15:2; Shabbos 133b.

288. Sefer HaMitzvos, Shoresh 4.

289. Vayikra 19:19.

290. Ibid., 19:2.

291. See Sefer HaMitzvos, Shoresh 2.

292. See Shmos Rabbah 30:9. This is also implied by the verse (Bereishis 18:19): “And you shall keep to the path of G-d.”

293. See Sefer HaMitzvos, Shoresh 4, which states that these general charges are not reckoned as mitzvos; with them, “He did not command us anything that we did not know before.”

294. Shmos 23:25.

295. Sefer HaMitzvos, positive mitzvah 5; Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Tefillah 1:1.

296. Zechariah 3:7.

297. Torah Or, Vayeishev 30a; Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, p. 38d.

298. Likkutei Torah, ibid. See also the maamarim entitled Tzi’ena U’Reena, 5660, and Shuvah, 5666.

299. See the Responsa of the Rashba, Vol. I, Responsum 418; Derech Emunah of the Tzemach Tzedek, p. 68.

300. See Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 20; Likkutei Torah, Vayikra 7d. See also the sichah to Parshas Behar in this series.

301. The fact that an arousal from below (the Divine service of the Jewish people) evokes an arousal from above (Divine beneficence) is dependent on His initiative, and is not predicated on the positive qualities of the Jews’ service, for there is no comparison between a created being and its Creator. (See Likkutei Torah, Devarim, p. 83b; Shir HaShirim, p. 12a; note the extensive explanation in the maamar entitled Adon Olam, 5703, sec. 6.) This motif also applies to the heights attained by the soul in the spiritual realms as a reward for its Divine service. [The fact that G-d rewards man according to his deeds is a kindness from Him.]

Nevertheless, once G-d decided that the Divine service of created beings would be considered significant, this desire created a framework in which this is in fact true. (To cite a parallel: In Derech Mitzvosecha 54b, it is explained that because G-d desired the tzimtzum, the tzimtzum became a significant factor, and it is appropriate that the ray of Divine light which exists after the tzimtzum be affected by the Divine service of the Jewish people. Although this ray of light is attached to G-d, the One who brings about the tzitzum and who is above all connection to created beings, because of the tzimtzum, this ray of light is affected by the Divine service of the Jews.)

Therefore the Divine influence depends on the service of the Jewish people. For this reason, the Jews’ Divine service must be of the same nature as the desired influence from above, Derech Mitzvosecha p. 123a, 160a.

It may appear that this does not apply to the Jews’ potential for unlimited ascent, for anything that is unlimited relates to the light that existed before the tzimtzum. One would not expect this light to respond to created beings as significant entities. (G-d’s will causes the tzimtzum to be considered a significant factor, and therefore the ray of Divine light that exists after the tzimtzum will be affected by the Divine service of the Jewish people, as explained using the analogy of a son and his father. This motif, however, does not appear to apply with regard to His unlimited light.)

It was, nevertheless, His desire that the Divine service of the Jewish people should draw down the light that existed before the tzimtzum. This light is, however, dependent on His initiative and not predicated on the service of the Jews. He thus desired that their Divine service draw down a light above all connection to their efforts.

302. Iyov 31:2, as cited by Tanya, ch. 2, which adds the word mamash (“actual”). See the introduction to Shefa Tal.

303. Effort is necessary. Through the Jews’ Divine service, they draw down the essence of their souls into the particular qualities mentioned. This in turn causes G-d to emanate influence from His essence to His particular qualities. This is possible, however, only after He decided to contract Himself.

It is, however, His will that the desire for tzimtzum itself come about through the Divine service of the Jewish people; it is as if they are the ones who bring about this desire.

Derech Mitzvosecha, p. 123b, 160b explains that G-d’s infinite light is drawn down by “lov[ing] G-d with all your might” (Devarim 6:5). Meodecha (the Hebrew for “your might”) is interpreted as referring to the unlimited G-dly potential that each Jew possesses.

This sequence is possible because the created beings relate to levels before the tzimtzum, as explained above. This point of connection is not, however, sufficient in and of itself to draw down this light; Divine service is necessary. Moreover, just as with the levels after tzimtzum, our Divine service must resemble the light it seeks to draw down; to draw down G-d’s infinite light, it is necessary to tap our own infinite potential.

304. For this reason, all the elements of a person’s life are significant, because through his activities, he introduces G-dly energy into each and every act (the maamar entitled BeShaah SheHikdimu, 5672).

305. See Tanya, ch. 23.

306. Berachos 2:6. See also Chanoch LeNaar, p. 8, Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. I, p. 284 (English trans. Vol. I, p. 315). This applies not only to the body, but to one’s portion in the world. See the narrative stated in Sefer HaSichos Kayitz 5700, p. 104, concerning Rabbi Hillel of Paritch.

307. Devarim 10:20, cited by the Rambam as positive mitzvah 7 in his Sefer HaMitzvos.

308. Sifri (cited by the Rambam, loc. cit., and Shulchan Aruch HaRav 154:4).

309. Tanya, ch. 18, ch. 35, in the note.

310. Tanya, ch. 2; see the sichah to Parshas Korach in this series.

311. Based on the above, we can appreciate the continuation of the Sifri text:

I consider it is as if you ascended on high and took the Torah. Not that you would ascend and take it peacefully, but even if you waged war and took it, as it is written (Tehillim 68:19): “You ascended on high; you took captives; you took presents to give to man.”

The passage is problematic. Why does it use the term “on high,” rather than “heaven,” “the firmament,” or the like? And what is meant by using the analogies of war and captivity?

To explain: The union of finite and infinite is a byproduct of G-d’s essence, the source for any fusion of opposites. This level is alluded to by the term “on high.” It does not refer to a specific level, as do the terms “heaven” or “the firmament,” but alludes to a level beyond which there is no other.

Conversely, we find the expression (Tanya, ch. 36): “a dwelling in the lower worlds,” referring to a realm so low that none is lower.

The essence of G-d which fuses together opposites was revealed in the Beis HaMikdash, where the dimensions of the Holy Ark were not included in the measurements of the Holy of Holies. Thus the phrase “on high,” is also employed with regard to the Beis HaMikdash, as Yirmeyahu 17:12 states: “On high, above the first, is the place of our Sanctuary.” See the Reshimos of the Tzemach Tzedek to Eichah 1:13 [Or HaTorah, Nach, Vol. II, p. 1067ff.].

The level that is “on high,” G-d’s essence, is drawn down by the essence of the soul, which is expressed through the bittul of Modeh Ani, as reflected in the verse (Yeshayahu 57:15): “I dwell on high, in holiness, yet [also] with [a person of] contrite and humble spirit.”

This, however, reflects merely the ascent to these peaks, an arousal of the essence. For the essence to be drawn down into the Divine service of every individual, “war” is necessary. The veils and concealments must be torn away, allowing one to refine the body, the animal soul, and one’s portion of the world. This enables one to “take” the Divine sparks that have fallen and raise them to their source; “to take captives.”

Although the arousal of the essence of the soul and its particular powers is reflected in the Divine service of “walking in His ways,” it is also reflected in the command to cling to G-d, because the ultimate clinging to Him is “walking in His ways” as will be explained.

312. Tehillim 84:8.

313. The conclusion of tractate Berachos. See also Sheloh; the Introduction to Beis Chochmah 17a; Emek HaMelech, Shaar Diknah Kadishah, ch. 8 (p. 61c); Torah Or, Megillas Esther, p. 98b. See Torah Or, Shmos 49a.

314. The conclusion of tractate Tamid.

When Should One Divorce?
The Talmud mentions[221] several opinions regarding when it is appropriate for a man to divorce his wife:

The School of Shammai say: “A man should not divorce his wife unless he discovers immodest conduct….”

The School of Hillel say: “[He may divorce her] even if she [intentionally][222] spoiled his food.”

Rabbi Akiva says: “[He may divorce her] even if he finds another one who is more attractive, as it is written:[223] ‘If she does not find favor in his eyes….’ “

Although there are some exceptions,[224] the School of Hillel generally rule more leniently than the School of Shammai. For the souls of the School of Shammai stem from the attribute of judgment, which tends toward stringency and view many things as unable to be elevated. Therefore they may not be used in our Divine service.

The souls of the School of Hillel, by contrast, stem from the attribute of kindness, which seeks to find that spark of good in every entity that allows it to be elevated to the realm of holiness.[225]

On one hand, permission to divorce one’s wife is a leniency. Nevertheless, it is not an expression of the attribute of kindness. Divorce stems from rigor and severity, and leads to distance and division.[226] The attribute of kindness, by contrast, is identified with love and opposes divorce. Why then does the School of Hillel make the process of divorce more accessible than the School of Shammai?

A similar question can be asked with regard to Rabbi Akiva. He is also identified with kindness, as reflected in his efforts to seek the merit of the Jewish people.[227] Why does he allow for divorce even when a husband finds another woman more attractive than his wife?

These questions become even stronger when we consider that the relationship between men and women is an analogy for the relationship between G-d and the Jews.[228] The opinions of the School of Shammai, the School of Hillel, and Rabbi Akiva thus have implications in our people’s relationship with G-d.[229]

With regard to the spiritual counterpart of divorce, the willingness to countenance such a drastic measure is surely an expression of the attribute of judgment. Why then do the School of Hillel rule more stringently than the School of Shammai? And why does Rabbi Akiva, who seeks the merit of the Jewish people, rule that even when there are no shortcomings in a woman’s (i.e. a Jew’s) conduct, her husband (G-d) may divorce her if He so chooses?

Fulfilling One’s Personal Mission
The relationship between men and women serves as an analogy, not only for the bond between G-d and the Jewish people, but also for the relationship between the body and soul. The soul is “an actual part of G-d”[230] and therefore is referred to as “a man,” while the body — and by extension, a person’s mission in the world at large — is referred to as a woman.[231]

Every soul has a mission which it was charged to fulfill in this world.[232] And “the steps of man are ordered by G-d.”[233] Wherever a Jew is found, he must realize that he was sent by Divine Providence as part of his or her mission to make the world a dwelling for G-d.

Even when confronted with difficulties in his path of Divine service, including some that make it appear that another path will enable him to achieve more, a person should not necessarily abandon his original course. It is the path which Divine Providence has granted him; this is his mission.

As mentioned above, a soul and its mission can be described using the analogy of a husband and a wife. On this basis, we can explain the differences of opinion between the Sages mentioned above. The question is: When should one abandon — divorce — one’s mission to refine one’s portion of the world and accept another mission?[234]

The School of Shammai maintains that “a person should not divorce his wife unless he discovers immodest conduct….” Regardless of the obstacles he faces, one may not abandon the path of Divine service with which he has been charged. He should not be troubled by the obstacles he faces, for if he perseveres, he will ultimately succeed.

When should he change? When there is “immodest conduct” — a clear directive from the Shulchan Aruch that he is forbidden to continue in this path of Divine service (just as when a woman acts immodestly, her husband is forbidden to remain married to her). In such an instance, one must find a different path of service.

(His previous path of service will then be allotted to another soul. This is also alluded to in the Torah, which states[235] that the divorced woman “will become the wife of another man.”)

The School of Hillel are more lenient, allowing a person to pick a new path of Divine service when “his food is spoiled.” The implication is that not only is the person not successful in his mission to refine his portion of the world, but “his food,” the spiritual attainments of the soul, have become spoiled. In such an instance, one may accept another path of Divine service.

Rabbi Akiva maintains that divorce is possible “even if he finds another one who is more attractive.” Even when there is no lack in a person’s service, nor a deficiency in his internal powers, if his path of Divine service “no longer finds favor in his eyes,” i.e., he has lost his zeal for it, he may accept another. (chein, translated as favor, relates to the attribute of pleasure, and refers to a person’s encompassing powers.[236])

Rabbi Akiva’s rationale is that a Jew must carry out his Divine service with joy.[237] Therefore when he lacks zeal, he can exchange his previous path for one which he finds more attractive.

Beyond the Measure of the Law
The halachah follows the opinion of the School of Hillel.[238] This means that when a person’s Divine service does not lack anything, but he has lost his zeal for it, he may not abandon his path. But if “his food is spoiled,” and his previous attainments are being marred, the law allows him to seek another path.

This, however, reflects merely the letter of the law. Our Sages state:[239] “Whenever a man divorces his first wife, even the altar sheds tears for him,” and[240] “How difficult is divorce!” The implication is that a person should persevere in the path of Divine service with which he was charged[241] to the limit of his endurance.

Even if he has divorced his wife (that is, if he abandoned his previous path of Divine service) he should remarry her, returning to take up his burden again.[242]

Moreover, even if “he discovered immodest conduct,” it is not fitting for him to hurry to divorce his first wife.[243] Instead, he should investigate the matter thoroughly to see whether or not there was in fact immodest conduct.

In the analog, this means that even if it appears to him that Torah law requires him to abandon his previous path of Divine service, he should not make the decision hastily. Perhaps he is being influenced by self-love, and it only appears to him that another path of Divine service would be easier. When he investigates the matter, he may realize that it is preferable for him to persevere. And when he dedicates himself to the matter with all the powers of his soul, then as a result — “when a man and a woman merit, the Divine Presence will rest between them,”[244] in the analog, the soul will merit the consummation of its service, the establishment of a dwelling for G-d in this world.

(Adapted from Sichos Chof Menachem Av, 5719)

Notes:

221. Gittin 90a.

222. The bracketed additions are based on the Tur (Even HaEzer, ch. 119) and the commentary of the Meiri to Gittin, loc. cit.

223. Devarim 24:1.

224. As annotated in the Mishnah, Ediyos, chs. 4 and 5.

225. Zohar, Vol. III, p. 245a; Taamei HaMitzvos by Rav Chayim Vital, Parshas Ki Seitzei; Shaar HaGilgulim, Hakdamah 36; Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 13; Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim, p. 40a, 45c.

226. See Bava Basra 160b.

227. Rashi, Sanhedrin 110b, entry Shavkinen.

228. As reflected in the interpretations of Shir HaShirim. See the sichah to Parshas Metzora in this series, which speaks of this concept.

229. For example, the prophet Yeshayahu employs the metaphor of divorce, asking (50:1): “Where is your mother’s bill of divorce?” See also the maamar entitled Eichah, 5670 (printed in Reshimos al Megilas Eichah, p. 52).

230. Iyov 31:2, as cited by Tanya, ch. 2, which adds the word mamash (“actual”). See the introduction to Shefa Tal.

231. See Zohar, Vol. I, p. 122b ff.; the commentary of Rabbeinu Bachaye to Bereishis 3:21. See also the sichah entitled Kol HaYotzei l’Milchemes Beis David [(Likkutei Dibburim, Vol. IV, p. 1578) English Translation: With Light and With Might.]

232. This brings about the union between the Kadosh Baruch Hu (the aspect of G-d associated with the level of Za’er Anpin) and the Shechinah (the aspect of G-d associated with the level of Malchus). A lack of Divine service causes the opposite: the spiritual counterpart of divorce. This reflects the connection between this interpretation and the preceding one.

233. Tehillim 37:23. See HaYom Yom, entry Tammuz 10.

234. For divorce is connected with remarriage, since a man who divorces his wife is obliged to marry another woman.

235. Devarim 24:2.

236. There are differences between chein translated as “favor,” and yofi, translated as “beauty.” Beauty refers to a person’s outward appearance and physical form (see Rashi’s interpretation of Bereishis 29:17: “Of beautiful form and appearance.” See also the interpretation of that verse in Torah Or). It thus relates to a person’s internal powers.

Favor, by contrast, relates to a person’s encompassing powers. (See Sotah 47a which states: “There are three types of favor…” and the Maamar entitled Vayihi Omen, 5627.) Rabbi Akiva maintains that even when the only thing the soul lacks is the influence of its encompassing powers, it may seek a new path of Divine service.

237. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, the conclusion of Hilchos Lulav; Tanya, ch. 26.

238. Tur and Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer, ch. 119:3).

239. Gittin 90b.

240. Sanhedrin 22a.

241. In particular, this applies with regard to the first path of Divine service (his “first wife”), which his soul was assigned when it descended to this earth.

242. As it is fitting for a person to remarry his former wife (Sefer HaChinuch, mitzvah 580).

243. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Geirushin 10:21. It appears that this applies even if he discovered immodest conduct, as stated by the Chelkas Mechokeik 119:2. Note, however, the interpretations of the Bayis Chadash to the Tur (Even HaEzer, ch. 119), and the gloss of the Beis Shmuel 119:3.

244. Sotah 17a.

245. Devarim 25:4.

This week we will learning the next set of 10 Lo Ta’aseh Mitzvot (Negative Commandments).

40. The prohibition against men adorning themselves with women’s ornaments

41. The prohibition against tattooing our bodies

42. The prohibition against wearing a garment woven of wool & linen

43. The prohibition against shaving the temples

44. The prohibition against shaving the beard

45. The prohibition against lacerating ourselves

46. The prohibition against ever living in the land of Egypt

47. The prohibition against being free in our thoughts

48. The prohibition against making a covenant with the non-believers

49. The prohibition against allowing anyone belonging to the seven nations to remain alive.

When It is Permitted to Eat Meat
There is a difference of opinion among our Sages[146] with regard to the verse:[147] “When G-d your L-rd will expand your boundaries as He promised you, and you shall say: ‘I would like to eat meat,’ for your soul desires to eat meat….”

Rabbi Yishmael states that the purpose of the verse is “to permit them to eat ordinary meat [i.e., meat not associated with a sacrifice].” In the desert, the Jews were allowed to eat meat only when they offered a sacrifice. Once they entered Eretz Yisrael, they were permitted to eat ordinary meat.

Rabbi Akiva differs[148] (and indeed, the halachah[149] follows his interpretation), and maintains that the Jews were allowed to eat ordinary meat in the desert as well. According to his interpretation, this verse teaches us a prohibition rather than a leniency: “At the outset, they were permitted to eat meat [from an animal] that was not ritually slaughtered.” According to Rabbi Akiva, the purpose of the verse: “When G-d your L-rd will expand your boundaries… for your soul desires to eat meat,” is to teach proper ethics,[150] that one should desire to eat meat only amidst prosperity and affluence.

Rashi quotes both interpretations[151] in his commentary to the Torah. The fact that he quotes Rabbi Yishmael despite the fact that his interpretation runs contrary to halachah does not present a difficulty, for “these and these are the words of the living G-d,”[152] and Rashi’s commentary is intended to teach the simple meaning of the verse, not to instruct us regarding halachah.[153]

Nevertheless, a difficulty is raised by the fact that Rashi quotes both interpretations despite the fact that they are seemingly mutually exclusive. If the phrase “when G-d… expands” is to be interpreted as referring to the entry into Eretz Yisrael, as Rabbi Yishmael explains, then it cannot be referring to material prosperity (even in the Diaspora) as Rabbi Akiva explains. Conversely, if this phrase refers to material prosperity, and thus is applicable everywhere, then a person who had been blessed with material property in the desert would have been permitted to eat ordinary meat there. This runs contrary to Rabbi Yishmael’s opinion that permission to eat such meat was granted only upon the entry to Eretz Yisrael.[154]

Nevertheless, the fact that Rashi combines both interpretations indicates that they are complementary. We must conclude that both Rabbi Akiva’s and Rabbi Yishmael’s interpretations assume the same motivating principle,[155] and that this same principle leads Rabbi Akiva to conclude that the entry into Eretz Yisrael brings about a stringency, while according to Rabbi Yishmael it brings about a leniency. Although the halachah follows Rabbi Akiva, Rashi also quotes Rabbi Yishmael to teach us a lesson about our Divine service.

For this reason, my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, publicized the importance of the venerable tradition of studying each day the part of the weekly Torah portion that corresponds to the day of the week, together with that portion of Rashi’s commentary. For every day, we must live with the Torah portion of the week,[156] and derive a lesson that relates to our Divine service.

In the Desert; In Eretz Yisrael
On several occasions,[157] it has been explained that the differences between the physical environment of Eretz Yisrael and the desert reflect a difference in Divine service. In the desert, the Jews were far-removed from all worldly matters, and it is with their entry into Eretz Yisrael that the task of transforming this world into “a settled land” began. This difference is reflected in all the needs of the people: their food, their clothing and their dwellings.

In the desert, the Jews’ primary food was manna, “bread from heaven,” an entity that transcended material pleasure. Although it was possible to experience any flavor one desired in the manna, its consumption removed the ingestion of food from the crass materialism of worldly existence. For the foods associated with the flavors tasted could not be seen,[158] and when “the eye [does not] see, the heart [does not] lust.”[159] Indeed, for this reason, manna did not provide the same type of satisfaction as “bread from the earth.”

While the Jews lived in the desert, their Divine service did not require them to eat ordinary meat. If one desired to eat meat, it was appropriate to eat sacrificial meat and that alone. But when the Jews entered Eretz Yisrael, they began the service of refining the material substance of the world. This invovles a change of focus. For when elevating an entity, one must wrap oneself in its garments. As part of the effort to refine the world’s material substance, it was therefore necessary to eat ordinary meat.[160] By eating such meat “for the sake of heaven,”[161] and in a manner of “Know G-d in all your ways,”[162] the meat can become elevated.

On this basis, we can also understand the verse in this passage which states:[163] “Restrain yourselves and do not eat blood.” It was necessary to warn the Jewish people not to eat blood, because one might otherwise think that the task of refinement would include such substances as well.

Therefore the verse emphasizes that although the task of refinement encompasses meat, one should only eat what one’s nature requires. Excitement (warm blood) with regard to eating meat is forbidden.[164] For this reason, sacrificial blood must be poured on the altar, i.e., one’s excitement must be reserved for holiness. Even when a person has a desire for permitted things, and uses them “for the sake of heaven” or as a means of “know[ing] Him,” when his desire is for the material entities in their own right, such desire is unwelcome. And therefore, with regard to non-sacrificial meat, the Torah states that the blood must be poured out on the earth,[165] i.e., one should sever all connections with it.

The Inner Motivation for the Body’s Desires
According to the above explanation, it appears that the permission to eat ordinary meat reflected a descent.

This, however, is a narrow conception. In truth, this permission implies an ascent, for as explained,12 it is through their entry into Eretz Yisrael that Jews can reach the highest levels. The success of their mission of refinement brings them to even higher peaks than they experienced in the desert.

Similar concepts apply with regard to the permission to eat ordinary meat. In the desert, before the Jews received the charge to ascend to Eretz Yisrael, they did not have the potential to lower themselves to the extent that they could eat ordinary meat and refine it. For this reason, Rabbi Yishmael maintains that in the desert it was forbidden to eat such meat.[166]

When they entered Eretz Yisrael, and G-d “expand[ed their] boundaries,” granting them spiritual prosperity and affluence — and its expression in material prosperity and the expansion of the actual boundaries of Eretz Yisrael — the Jews were granted the power to refine ordinary meat.

To explain: The spiritual bounty granted to the souls of the Jewish people when they entered the Land gave them the potential to descend to a lower level — eating ordinary meat — and connect this material act with the G-dliness of their souls.

Why did their bodies desire meat? Because their souls sought to refine the sparks of G-dliness contained within it.[167]

The fusion of the soul’s spiritual potential and the body’s physical desires — which elevates those desires and connects them to G-dliness — came about with the entry into Eretz Yisrael, and the bounty granted to the Jewish souls at that time.

On this basis, we can appreciate the meaning of the verse: “And you shall say, ‘I would like to eat meat,’ for your soul desires to eat meat.” The body demonstrates a desire to eat meat, but the source of that motivation is in what “your soul desires” — the wish to refine and elevate that meat.

An Explanation for Rabbi Akiva’s View
It would thus seem that the entry into Eretz Yisrael, the beginning of the Divine service that befits “a settled land,” and the descent required to involve oneself with material entities should bring about a leniency. Why then does Rabbi Akiva — and the halachah — maintain not only that the entry into Eretz Yisrael did not bring about a leniency (for according to Rabbi Akiva, it was permitted to eat ordinary meat in the desert), but introduced a stringency, so that from the time the Jews entered the Land, they were forbidden to eat meat unless it was ritually slaughtered.

This difficulty can be resolved as follows: Although in the desert, most of the Jews’ food was manna that did not produce waste, they had the opportunity to buy food from gentile traders. As our Sages comment[168] on the verse:[169] “And you shall have a trowel together with your weapons,” the food they bought did produce waste.

For the Jews in the desert, a “generation of knowledge”[170] removed from worldly existence, eating such food — although not forbidden — represented a drastic descent. Nevertheless, since G-d never removes a person’s potential for free choice, the Jews had the opportunity to purchase such food.

Since this descent involved a “generation of knowledge” — people whose food, clothing and dwellings (the clouds of glory) were above waste — even such a descent had the potential to bring about a certain degree of refinement.

Rabbi Akiva continually sought the merit of the Jewish people.[171] Hence he maintains that the Jews were permitted to eat ordinary meat in the desert, for despite the descent this involved, it brought about a certain refinement in the meat. Since the meat was permitted and became part of the flesh and blood of the Jewish people, it was elevated.

This meat did not require ritual slaughter, because its consumption did not reflect the ordinary pattern of the Jews’ Divine service, which at that time involved eating manna. And so, if someone chose to depart from that pattern and eat non-sacrificial meat, there were no requirements set by the Torah.

To explain: Ritual slaughter is required because “[the Torah's] ways are pleasant ways,”[172] and through ritual slaughter, the animal is spared excess pain.[173] In the desert, however, eating meat was not the pattern prescribed by the Torah, so the laws governing slaughter were not applied. To cite a parallel: Frequently, the Talmud speaks of[174] a particular event as being an extraordinary occurrence, and states that therefore Rabbinic restrictions were not applied. In a similar way, since eating ordinary meat represented a departure from the Jews’ normal pattern in the desert, no restrictions were applied, and they were allowed to eat it without ritual slaughter.

Spiritual Transfer
Another reason can be given to explain why ritual slaughter was not required in the desert. Our Sages explain[175] that the term shochat — ritual slaughter — is identified with moshach, meaning “he drew after,” referring to the transfer of an article from one place to another.

Ritual slaughter involves the spiritual transfer of meat from the realm of kelipah, figuratively identified with the public domain or “the mountains of separation,”[176] to the realm of oneness identified with G-d, the epitome of oneness.[177]

Rabbi Akiva maintains that in the desert, it was possible for the Jewish people to refine the meat they ate to a certain degree. They could not, however, effect the spiritual transfer necessary to bring that meat into the domain of holiness (definitely not to the level of holiness which was openly revealed in the desert). Therefore, the animals whose meat they ate did not require ritual slaughter.

On this basis, we can understand the Rambam’s ruling[178] that in the desert the Jews were forbidden to eat ordinary meat from an animal that was ritually slaughtered. The only ordinary meat they could eat was that from an animal that was not ritually slaughtered.

They were, however, also able to eat sacrificial meat, and in such an instance, the animal had to be ritually slaughtered, i.e., transferred to another realm of holiness. Since the refinement associated with ritual slaughter could not be accomplished with regard to ordinary meat, slaughtering an animal for this purpose in the desert was forbidden. Indeed, it was like slaughtering a non-sacrificial animal in the courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash, which is prohibited by Scripture.[179]

The entry of the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael and the spiritual bounty their souls then received made it possible to refine ordinary meat as well. Therefore meat from an animal that was not ritually slaughtered became forbidden. For from that time onward, every act which a Jew performs, even eating ordinary meat, could and should be performed in a manner which emphasizes the connection to G-d’s oneness.

One Motivating Principle: Two Applications
As mentioned previously, both Rabbi Akiva’s view and that of Rabbi Yishmael acknowledge that the Jews’ entry into Eretz Yisrael provided them with a spiritual bounty that enabled them to reach higher levels in the task of refinement. The difference between their views is that Rabbi Yishmael maintains that before the Jews were granted this spiritual prosperity, they could not refine ordinary meat at all, and therefore it was forbidden.

Rabbi Akiva, by contrast, maintains that even before being granted this spiritual prosperity, they could refine the meat to a certain extent. For this reason, Rabbi Akiva maintains that while the Jews were in the desert, there was no need for an animal to be ritually slaughtered. Indeed, it was forbidden.

On this basis, we can understand why Rashi quotes both opinions. For even according to Rabbi Yishmael, the phrase “When G-d your L-rd will expand your boundaries” is to be interpreted literally, and refers to the Jews’ entry into Eretz Yisrael. He too would accept the argument that the inner meaning of the verse is a lesson in ethics, “that one should desire to eat meat only amidst prosperity and affluence.” Rabbi Yishmael, however, sees the passage as being relevant not only on the individual level, but also with regard to the Jewish people as a whole. Before they received this spiritual affluence, they were forbidden to eat ordinary meat; it is only after their entry into Eretz Yisrael that this became permitted.

Progress Every Day
The above explanation also helps us understand why Rashi cites the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael that ordinary meat was forbidden in the desert, although the halachah follows Rabbi Akiva, who maintains that it was permitted. With regard to the parallel in our Divine service, Rabbi Yishmael’s view should be followed.

To explain: Both phases, traveling in the desert and entering Eretz Yisrael are reflected in the Divine service of every Jew, every day. At the beginning of the day, a Jew should not involve himself with worldly matters (as the Jews in the desert did not). It is only after receiving the spiritual bounty that comes through prayer and the study that follows prayer (the spiritual parallel to Eretz Yisrael), that one acquires the ability to involve oneself in worldly matters and make them vessels for G-dliness.12

“In the desert,” i.e., when a person has not yet prayed, “ordinary meat is forbidden.” Before prayer, one may not eat in order to fulfill one’s desires;[180] eating is only permitted for reasons of health or the like.[181] After prayer, when one has figuratively entered Eretz Yisrael, one can eat ordinary meat, i.e., a person can begin his daily task of refining the world’s material substance.

There is, however, one stipulation: eating the blood is forbidden, i.e., one may not involve oneself in such worldly activities with relish.

Rashi therefore quotes Rabbi Yishmael. For in our present age,[182] our spiritual level is such that we cannot refine the world’s material substance by eating before prayer. Before prayer, “ordinary meat is forbidden.”

Nevertheless, Rashi also cites the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, which emphasizes that after receiving the spiritual bounty associated with Eretz Yisrael, a Jew must advance to a new level in the task of refinement. For a Jew must continually approach new frontiers. Each day, he must elevate his spiritual level and expand his circle of influence. If there were matters which could not be refined yesterday, today one must seek to connect them with G-d’s oneness.

Just as this pattern of ascent applies each day, so too — and even more so — it applies each week, each month, and each year. Every year must incorporate a new and higher level of spiritual service.

To enable us to reach this higher level, we are granted the month of Elul as a preparation for Rosh HaShanah. And so, our Divine service in Elul must be of a different nature than our service in the previous months, for it prepares us to merit an inscription for a good and sweet year.

(Adapted from Sichos Shabbos Parshas Re’eh, 5719)

Notes:

146. Chulin 16b.

147. Devarim 12:20.

148. Chulin 17a.

149. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Shechitah 4:17.

150. See Rashi’s interpretation of Chulin, loc. cit.

151. Rashi quotes both these interpretations in his commentary to Devarim, loc. cit.

152. Eruvin 13b; Gittin 6b.

153. See Yad Malachi, Klallei Rashi, sec. 2, et al.

154. See the gloss of Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi to Rashi’s commentary, which raises these questions.

155. See the Zohar, Vol. III, p. 6b. To cite a parallel: Hillel and Shammai studied under the same teachers, Shemayah and Avtalyon. Nevertheless, Hillel and Shammai would often differ in the application of their teachers’ opinions. [See Hemshech 5672, Vol. I, p. 20ff.]

156. Cf. Sefer HaSichos 5702, p. 29ff.

157. See the sichah to Parshas Shelach in this series, where this concept is explained.

158. Yoma 74b; see the sichah to Parshas Eikev in this series, where this concept is explained.

159. See Rashi’s commentary to Bamidbar 15:39.

160. The desire to eat ordinary meat is part of the mindset that operates within the framework of a “settled land.” As our Sages commented (Yoma 69b): “Were we to kill [the desire for sin], we would destroy the world.”

161. Avos 2:12.

162. Mishlei 3:6. See the sichah to Parshas Terumah in this series, which refers to both these quotes and explains the implications of each with regard to our Divine service.

163. Devarim 12:23.

164. The necessity for desire in order to enable the task of refinement to be carried out does not refer to crass material desire, but rather to the natural physical desire for food in order to maintain the connection between body and soul.

To cite a parallel: Even before the sin, Adam had a desire for physical relations with Chavah. This was, however, only so that he could father children (see the maamar entitled V’Atem HaDiveikim, 5686, printed in Sefer HaMaamarim, 5711). Nevertheless, even desire of this type represented a descent from the level of the Jewish people in the desert.

Or to cite another parallel: In the Era of the Redemption, children will still be born from physical relations between a father and a mother that will be motivated by material desire. Therefore, refinement will be necessary (ibid., sec. 5).

165. Ibid.:24.

166. See Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, p. 31d.

167. See the maamar entitled Basi LeGani, 5714, where this concept is explained.

168. Yoma 75b.

169. Devarim 23:14.

170. Zohar, Vol. II, p. 62b; Bamidbar Rabbah 19:3; Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Chukas, sec. 6; Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, p. 37b.

This does not contradict Rabbi Akiva’s opinion (Sanhedrin 110b) that the generation which traveled in the desert will not receive a portion in the World to Come. Because of their higher potential, they are judged more severely, as our Sages comment (Yevamos 121b) on the verse (Tehillim 50:3): “Around Him, it is very tempestuous.”

171. Rashi, Sanhedrin 110b.

172. Mishlei 3:17.

173. Moreh Nevuchim, Vol. III, ch. 26; Sefer HaChinuch, mitzvah 451.

174. Note the sources cited by the S’dei Chemed, Vol. III, Klallim Mem, secs. 172-173.

175. Chulin 30b.

176. See Tanya end of ch. 33.

177. See Likkutei Torah, Devarim, p. 16d; Derech Mitzvosecha, p. 37a.

178. Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Shechitah 4:17.

179. See ibid., 2:1 and commentaries.

180. See note 19.

181. Shulchan Aruch HaRav 89:8; see also HaYom Yom, entry Yud Shvat.

182. In contrast to the Generation of Knowledge who journeyed through the desert and who could bring about a certain degree of spiritual refinement by eating ordinary meat, as explained above according to Rabbi Akiva.

This week we will learning the next set of 10 Mitzvot Aseh (Positive Commandments).

1. To remove those who are impure from the sanctuary

2. To glorify, Honor, and exalt the seed of Aaron

3. To don clothing reflection honor and glory prior to the sanctuary service

4. To carry the ark on their shoulders when necessary to transfer it from place to place

5. To have oil prepared in a special way set aside fro the anointment of whichever high-priest might be appointed

6. To have the priests serve in watches

7. To have the priests render themselves unclean by contact with the dead

8. To marry a virgin during the period of her virginity

9. To sacrifice in the sanctuary two lambs every day

10. To have the high-priest sacrifice a meal offering every day in the morning and at twilight

Challenges On The Road
On several occasions,[85] it has been explained that the task of transforming the world into a dwelling for G-d began after the entry of the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael. The 40 years in the desert were to prepare the Jews for their Divine service in that holy land.

Divine service involves persevering in one’s mission despite challenges and obstacles. For it is only by overcoming challenges that our innermost powers of soul are aroused.[86] For this reason, the 40 years of wandering were years of challenge for the Jewish people, as it is written:[87] “to challenge you, to verify what is in your heart, that you will keep His commandments.”

In general, there are two types of challenges: poverty and affluence.[88] In the desert, the Jews were confronted by both. Indeed, both were associated with the manna. For the manna represented the ultimate in affluence. It was “bread from heaven”; it did not produce any waste,[89] and in it, one could taste any flavor one desired.[90] In contrast, “bread from the earth” produces waste and is limited in its flavor. Moreover, our Sages relate that jewels and pearls descended together with the manna, bestowing affluence upon the Jewish people in the most literal sense.

On the other hand, the manna also produced a challenge of poverty, as reflected in the verse:[91] “He fed you manna… to give you hardship.” As our Sages explain,[92] the hardship involved the fact that the manna did not provide complete satisfaction.

One opinion explains: “A person who has a loaf of bread in his bread box cannot be compared to one who does not.” The manna would descend day by day, and the Jews could not set any aside for the following day. This detracted from the satisfaction they felt while eating.

Another rationale is offered: “A person who sees what he is eating cannot be compared to a person who does not.” For although the manna could taste like any food the Jews wanted, they would see only manna, and this prevented them from feeling satisfied.

The question arises: How can one entity induce both poverty and affluence?

What Our Pockets Cannot Contain
The two contradictory effects of the manna are a result of its transcendent nature. The wealth which accompanied the manna (the ability to taste any flavor, and the jewels which came with it) was a result of it being “bread from heaven,” a G-dly entity, for G-dliness is totally unlimited. For this reason, even after the manna descended and became part of our material world, its spiritual qualities were retained.[93] Accordingly, it did not produce waste, nor was it limited to one particular flavor. Indeed, its perfection included precious stones, the ultimate in the realm of inanimate objects.

Because of the manna’s unique spiritual nature, it could not be produced by ordinary worldly effort. Our plowing and sowing would not cause it to grow. It was given as a present from G-d, and not as a reward for our Divine service.[94] For this reason, it was totally dependent on His initiative, and descended from day to day — reflecting the integration of spirituality (which is above time and space) and our material world, in which each day is different from every other.[95]

For this reason, we could not see in the manna all the foods whose flavors it could manifest. For our limited mortal eyes could not appreciate the unbounded spiritual potential the manna contained.

This explains the manna’s fusion of affluence and poverty. Since it was a manifestation of spirituality, it was not limited at all. Nevertheless, as it became part of our world, it was associated with poverty, for it left a person with nothing of his own. Nor was he able to see what he was eating. For the manna did not take on the appearance of even simple food.[96]

Thus although the manna represented ultimate wealth, with regard to its recipients, it represented ultimate poverty. For they could not point to it and say: “This is mine.”

Within — and Beyond — Our Ken
The above also helps us understand the interpretation of the verse:[97] “He made you suffer, and He starved you by feeding you the manna,” which implies that not only did the manna not produce satisfaction, it produced hunger. This is difficult to understand. Why did the manna produce hunger?

The concept can be explained as follows: Every entity in this world is a discrete creation, different from every other. This also describes “bread from the earth.” It is food, nothing else. It has a specific flavor. This can be sensed by a person, and this satisfies him.

When a limited human being eats “bread from heaven,” by contrast, he can feel its transcendent, spiritual nature. And yet, for that very reason, it does not satisfy him. For his appreciation of its unlimited nature causes him to desire more. Since the object of his desire is unlimited, his hunger for more is never sated. This concept is alluded to in the continuation of the verse cited above13 which describes the manna as something “which neither you nor your ancestors knew,” i.e., something which cannot be grasped by our conceptual framework.[98]

What is the way to relate to this unbounded potential? To step beyond one’s own boundaries and limitations.

When Adding Causes a Loss
On this basis, we can understand how the 40 years in the desert prepared the Jews for their observance of the Torah and its mitzvos in Eretz Yisrael, giving them the spiritual fortitude to overcome the challenges of both poverty and affluence.

Overcoming the challenge of affluence means negating the thought that “my strength and the power of my hand brought me this prosperity,”[99] for it is “G-d who gives you the strength to prosper.”[100]

Overcoming the challenge of poverty means realizing that no evil descends from above,[101] and that it is man who is responsible for any difficulties he suffers. For this reason, we should not reject our sufferings, but should instead accept them with happiness.[102]

In this context, the manna can teach a significant lesson. Influence which descends from above is unlimited, the ultimate in affluence. Nevertheless, since all created beings are by nature limited, in order for that affluence to remain intact, man must not tamper with G-d’s influence. Indeed, not only will tampering not bring him any gain — as the Torah relates with regard to the manna, “he who took more did not retain it”[103] — he will lose. He will introduce poverty into matters which are by nature associated with the ultimate affluence.

The way to achieve affluence is to rise above one’s limited existence and desires, to forget about self-pride and to rely totally on G-d. This makes man into a receptacle for G-d’s influence, not only in spiritual matters, but also in material matters, opening him to an affluence that extends beyond the scope of our ordinary mortal capacities.[104]

Human Wisdom and Divine Knowledge
Wisdom is described with the analogy of food. For just as food is ingested and becomes part of a person’s being, so too, intellectual ideas are absorbed by our minds and become one with them.[105]

As above, there are two general categories of food: “bread from the earth” and “bread from heaven.” Similarly, with regard to the study of Torah, there is “bread from the earth” (mortal intellect) and “bread from heaven” (Divine intellect).

To explain: All forms of wisdom other than the Torah have their limits. Aside from the fact that they are restricted to intellect and do not involve other potentials, every idea is limited, just as ordinary food is limited to one taste. Moreover, all ideas developed by mortal intellect lead to certain irrelevant matters, “waste.”

Use of our mortal intellect to comprehend ideas leads to satisfaction. Figuratively speaking, a person “sees what he is eating,” and has “a loaf of bread in his bread box,” for these concepts are accessible. For these reasons, the study of mortal wisdom can lead to self-satisfaction and pride.[106]

The opposite is true with regard to the wisdom of the Torah. The Torah is pure truth, with no waste. And it is unlimited, including all “flavors.” Moreover, the Torah also leads to actual material wealth (as the manna contained jewels and pearls).

For this reason, when studying Torah, a person feels that he cannot grasp it in its totality; the Torah’s unlimited truth transcends his comprehension. As a result, Torah study will never lead to pride; indeed, it leads to self-nullification. As the verse states:[107] “As one adds knowledge, one increases pain.” The more one studies the Torah, the more one feels an acute lack in one’s comprehension, and a great thirst and hunger to study.

Extending the analogy, both of the categories exist within the Torah itself.[108] Nigleh, the revealed dimension of Torah law, is G-d’s wisdom and will. Nevertheless, it is presented in a form which has descended until it relates to mortal intellect and material entities. For this reason, it has certain limitations, and there is a parallel to waste, as our Sages comment:[109] “If one is unworthy, the Torah becomes like poison.” Thus it can be described as “bread from the earth.”

P’nimiyus HaTorah, the Torah’s mystic dimension, by contrast, is utterly without limits and produces no waste whatsoever. It is “an elixir of life,”24 “bread from heaven.”

Who a Jew Really Is; What Makes Him Happy
The yetzer hora is “experienced at its craft.”[110] It realizes that it is impossible to convince a Jew to deny the importance of the Torah, for every Jew holds the Torah dear. Indeed, the Tanach relates[111] that Achav, who voluntary committed the sin of idol worship, considered the Torah as “the treasure of [his] eye.” Therefore, when it desires to draw a person away from the study of the Torah in general, and the study of P’nimiyus HaTorah in particular, the yetzer hora offers indirect arguments.

It claims: “The Torah is unlimited; no matter how much you study, you will never be able to comprehend it entirely. Indeed, the more you study, the farther you feel from complete comprehension. Therefore the best course of action is to deal with entities which you can comprehend. Devote yourself to material things. This will satisfy you, for material entities can be fully comprehended.”

Nor does the yetzer hora tell a person to ignore Torah study entirely. It agrees that one must know how to observe Torah law, and therefore should study a fixed amount of Torah in the morning and a fixed amount of Torah in the evening. “But,” argues the yetzer hora, “it should be a fixed amount, a law or two. If you want to be meticulous, an entire chapter, and if extremely meticulous, one should attend a class. But by no means should you make an overwhelming commitment. You will never be satisfied, for there is no way you can grasp it entirely. All you will do is cause yourself suffering.”

Continuing, the yetzer hora also addresses itself to the subject matter studied: “You should study only nigleh, not P’nimiyus HaTorah. After all, P’nimiyus HaTorah deals with concepts which we cannot grasp. These ideas are by nature above mortal intellect.”[112]

A person must realize that these are the arguments of the yetzer hora. The argument not to involve oneself with “bread from heaven,” but instead deal solely with “bread from the earth” is the first step away from the path of Torah. By accepting one aspect of the yetzer hora’s argument, a person allows himself to fall deeper and deeper into its snares. In this vein, our Sages say[113] that the yetzer hora is at first like a passerby. Afterwards, it is like a guest; ultimately, it becomes the owner of the home.

Based on the above, we can appreciate the lesson taught by the Torah with regard to the people’s complaints about the manna. They did not want “bread from heaven,” food that is above the material realm. Instead, they wanted ordinary food, food which produces waste.

And this initiated a downward trend. Soon they were “weeping with their families,”[114] interpreted by our Sages[115] to mean, “lamenting the prohibitions against incest and adultery.”

Moreover, the yetzer hora’s argument that it is the material, and not the spiritual which will bring satisfaction is also faulty. The essence of a Jew’s being is spiritual. If, heaven forbid, he cuts himself off from the spiritual and involves himself in material matters alone, he will never be sated. Regardless of how much he achieves, he will not be satisfied. There is no way he can, for this is not who he is.[116]

It is the spiritual which reflects his essential nature. And thus, if he becomes an empty receptacle and sheds his self-concern and individual limits, he will be able to receive, being granted not only spiritual things, but also material things. He will enjoy G-d’s abundant generosity, more than a mortal is able to accept.20 Since he regards the spiritual and the material as the same, he will be granted unlimited blessings in both realms.

(Adapted from Sichos Shabbos Parshas Eikev, 5721)

Notes:

85.  See the sichah to Parshas Shlach in this series.

86.  See the maamar entitled Acharei Havayah and its explanation in Likkutei Torah (Devarim 19b ff.); Derech Mitzvosecha, p. 185b ff.

87.  Devarim 8:2.

88.  See Likkutei Torah, Derushei Rosh HaShanah (Devarim 60a) with regard to the exiles of Egypt and Ashur. See also Mishlei 30:8-9.

89.  Yoma 75b.

90.  Ibid. 75a.

91.  Devarim 8:16.

92.  Yoma 74b.

93.  See the sichah to Parshas Behaalos’cha in this series, where this concept is explained.

94.  See the maamar entitled Vayancha Vayarivecha, 5675.

95.  Nazir 7a.

96.  To cite a parallel: An extremely powerful light prevents a person from seeing.

97.  Devarim 8:3. 6. This translation is based on Koheles Rabbah 5:10 and Lekech Tov, Devarim, 8:2, which explain that “He starved you” refers to the manna.

The simple meaning of the verse is that “He made you hungry and [to satisfy that hunger], fed you the manna.” See the maamar entitled Tanu Rabbanan, Minayin L’Bircas HaMazon (Siddur Im Dach [p. 107c ff.]0, which explains this latter interpretation according to Chassidus, stating that it was hunger from ordinary food that made it possible for them to receive the manna.

98.  See Likkutei Torah, Devarim, p. 14a, which interprets this verse as meaning that our ancestors lacked comprehension of the manna.

99.  Devarim 8:17.

100.  Ibid.:18.

101.  Bereishis Rabbah 51:3.

102.  Berachos 60b; Tanya, Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 22.

103.  Shmos 16:18.

104.  When a person has no desire for material objects as ends in their own right, these material entities become like spiritual entities, and do not take up space. This is reflected in the manna which although it descended into the realm of the material, provided spiritual nurture, and thus was absorbed totally into the Jews’ bodies without taking up place. (See the maamar entitled Lecha Amar Libi, 5696, sec. 3 and the maamar entitled Ani LiDodi, 5700, sec. 3.)

105.  See Tanya, ch. 5.

106.  See the maamar entitled VaYomer Moshe, 5709, sec. 2; Toras Shalom, p. 101.

107.  Koheles 1:18.

108.  See the maamarim entitled Vihayah Ki Savo, 5666, Emar Rabbi Akiva, Ashreichem, 5667. See also the sichah from Parshas Behaalos’cha in this series where this subject is discussed.

109.  Yoma 72b; see the explanation of this concept in Kuntres Eitz HaChayim, ch. 11ff.

110.  [See Shabbos 100b.]

111.  I Kings 20:6, based on Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Shmos, sec. 29, and Rashi. Note a slight disparity in comparison to Sanhedrin 102b.

112.  See the explanation in Kuntres Limud HaChassidus, ch. 11ff.

113.  Sukkah 52b. See also Bereishis Rabbah, ch. 22; Zohar, Vol. III, p. 267b.

114.  Bamidbar 11:10.

115.  Yoma 75a; Rashi, to this verse.

116.  See the maamar entitled Lecha Amar Libi, 5696, sec. 2, and the maamar entitled Ani LeDodi, 5700, sec. 3.