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Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

Shalosh Seudos of Parshas Vayeitzei 5770


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And Yaakov went out from Beer Sheva and went toward Charan.1

Rashi explains: And [Yaakov] went outThe verse only needed to record, And Yaakov went toward Charan. Why, then, did it mention his leaving? It did so to teach that when a tzaddik leaves a the place, it makes an impression. All the while that the tzaddik is in the city, he is its splendor, he is its light, he is its glory. When he leaves there, its splendor is gone, its light is gone, its glory is gone. So do we fine in Ruth, And she left the place, regarding Naomi and Ruth.2 And he went toward Charan He left to go to Charan.

The Fathers Mercy It is acknowledged that a fathers mercy is greater than a mothers. [Note: While this may seem counterintuitive, if we examine the way in which most family dynamics work, the mother is often the setter of boundaries and the enforcer of rules.] The deeper meaning of this can be found in the writings of the Arizal, that the Yesod of Abba extends up until the Yesod of Zeir Anpin, whereas the Yesod of Imma extends only until the chest-level of Zeir Anpin. Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Ziditchov explained that the blemishes above chest-level can be repaired by the influence of Yesod dImma, but those that affect the area below the chest-level can only be repaired by the light of Yesod dAbba.

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Bereishis 28:10 Ruth 1:7 3

Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

The verse says, And Lavan had two daughters.3 The main avodah is to reveal the aspect known as the loven haelyon, the supernal whiteness, that is alluded to by the name Lavan. The two daughters of the loven haelyon are Leah and RachelLeah remains in the world of Atzilus, and Rachel descends to the lower three worlds of Beriyah-Yetzirah-Asiyah. Hashem wanted a dwelling place in the lower worlds, and that His light should be revealed even below the level of the lower three worlds. This is alluded to in the verse, Hashem will add to me another son4another indicates division or separation [i.e. plurality]. Hashem wants that the place of division should also be encompassed within the light of yichud. This is the avodah of Rachel, because Leah is the hidden world, and her aspect remains in the world of Atzilusthe Leah-form of avodah is in contemplation of G-dliness within the realm of thought. The Rachel-form of avodah descends to the lower worlds of BYA, which is the world of speech. This lower level can only be rectified through the influence of Yesod dAbba, because the mercy of the father is greater than that of the mother. It is specifically the Yesod dAbba which extends further, all the way down to the place of Yaakov, which rectifies Rachel through a yichud that is of the weekday form. [Note: This indicates the revelation of G-dliness within the weekday state, which is the less spiritual environment of the lower three worlds.] And Yaakov went out from Beer ShevaYesod dAbba is drawn from and descends from Yesod dImma which is called Beer Sheva [seven wells], and goes down to the place of Rachel which is the aspect of Charan [or wraththe lower place where G-dliness is hidden and negativity prevails]. Yaakov Avinu sought to reveal the supernal whiteness even down in the lower worlds of BYA, so that even the state of division would be encompassed within the loven haelyon.

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Bereishis 29:16 Bereishis 30:24 4

Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

Revealed Light And he lighted upon the place and tarried there all night because the sun was set All spiritual light is revealed in one of two wayseither through pleasure or through pain. For example, the light of Shabbos which descends and is revealed throughout the week assumes different forms. On Friday night, it is the light of Malchus; on Shabbos morning, it is primarily a manifestation of the light of Zeir Anpin and secondarily that of Atika; during the late afternoon it is primarily a manifestation of the light of Atika and secondarily that of Zeir Anpin. We see, then, that these three levels are manifest every Shabbos, and a person who serves Hashem receives these three revelations every weekeither through pleasure, or through pain. This is true for every Jewish soul; either the light is revealed through spiritual delight or through suffering, Gd forbid. This is the deeper meaning of, And he tarried there all night because the sun was set The sunset indicates pain and suffering. If the person does not have a vessel fit to receive the light through pleasure, it will come through its opposite. When the tzaddik receives spiritual light from the lofty place of Yesod dAbba, he has the keilim to receive it in the manner of the holiness of Shabbos, the light of Chochmah, and the wellspring of sanctity for the entire week. This light of Shabbos enables him to carry out all of the avodah that his soul requires during the coming week. The Shabbos itself is a manifestation of the great mercy of the father, and it helps the Jewish soul know how it is to go about safely descending to Charanthe place of charon, or Divine wrathwhich is the domain of Rachel and the place of speech. It is with the force of Rachel that Yosef ruled over his brothers when they were at the level of BYAthe tzaddik is the aspect of Rachel that rules over those who are the level of BYA. Rising and Descending And he dreamed, and behold there was a ladder standing upon the earth and its top reached to the heavens, and behold there were G-ds angels ascending and descending upon it. The sages taught that Hashem showed Yaakov Avinu all of
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Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

the ascents and descents that take place among the heavenly ministers.5 Yaakov was afraid to leave Eretz Yisrael, and Hashem told him that he could go in such a manner that he would not have to suffer a descent. Even so, Yaakov was afraid, and so Hashem told him, And they will enslave them and oppress them for four hundred years. The light of Rachel which is illuminated by Yesod dAbba is really the pleasure of bitul. This light shines very powerfully during prayer, if one merits to focus on, before whom one stands . The aspect of "is that of Binah [which has fifty gates], while that which is before "in the sense of being above it, is Chochmahthe Divine light experienced through the bitul of prayer or that of studying Torah lishmah. If, however, one is not worthy of this delight, then the light of Chochmah turns from into ,the affliction of suffering. The verse says of Moshiach that he is wounded and leprousthis represents the souls of the Jewish people that are not able to honor the Divine light that Hashem sends at every moment which is meant to rectify them. We really have no understanding of Hashems ways. Both Leah and Rachel were holy and pure, they were both great tzidkaniyos that merited to be vehicles for the upper worlds, and nevertheless Hashem treated them so differently. Hashem helped both of them in different ways; He tested them both in different ways. The light of Chochmah is that of chayah [the fourth soul-level], and it has a generative power. Even though Rachel is more strongly related to Yesod dAbba as we have already learned and, consequentially, closer to the light of Chochmah, nevertheless Hashem tested her by withholding children from her. She suffered to such an extent that she was even jealous of her sister. Although this cannot be understood on a simple levelas Rashi says, she was jealous of her sister Leahs good deedseven so it was necessary to arouse greater merit on her behalf by overcoming this jealousy and giving Leah the simanim. By acting with such self-sacrifice, she was given the gift of Yosef HaTzaddik who was born later on.
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Shemos Rabbah 32:7 6

Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

This stands in contrast with Leah herself, who bore child after child easily. However, Leah also suffered great trials, because Hashem deals with each soul individually, in order to help it reach its own rectificationand this is entirely different for each person. The degree of exactitude in this Divine orchestration is completely beyond human comprehension; it determines that which takes place in the life of every person, each and every hour, from moment to moment, down to the last detail. The foundation of emunah is the certain knowledge that Hashem is good and does good, and His way is only to do good. Even when His light is revealed through the aspect of the sunsetthrough the more painful means of yesurimit is still His light that is being revealed. And he lit upon the placeYaakov came to the ,the Place of the world, which is Hashem Himself. For the tzaddik, there is no difference is the revelation of Hashems light is through or its oppositeit is all a place to meet and touch upon the Makom. When we speak of place we enter the world of tzimtzum and limits, the aspect of Gevurah [which is feminine], and which always indicates an aperture and a vessel. [Note: A vessel is formed through impact and hollowing out of a space, just as the tzimtzum was the contraction of the Infinite light and the simultaneous formation of a vacated space.] The touching upon the place is accomplished trhough prayer, which touches the Place of the worldthe light of Chochmah so that a vessel formed by tzimtzum comes into being. This place of Gevurah also contains the light of [ "Chochmah], but not in the revealed manner of ;" " rather, it is the enclothing of the light of "within the lower three worlds, which the Kabbalists describe as " ", " ", " "the light of Chochmah as enlothed within the lower worlds of Binah, ZA and Malchus [or BYA]. The true tzaddik rests in that placewhile in the place of pain he experiences the embrace of Hashem which is a yichudthe yichud of the bosom which is preparatory to a greater level of yichud to come. The vessel formed by this phase of his

Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

avodah will allow him to receive a greater revelation of Divine light afterward. This is the essence of the descent for the purpose of ascent. The Stones of the Place And he took from the stones of the placethis refers to the 72-Name [ ]"formed of letters as opposed to that formed of words. Stones indicates letters. And he laid down in that placethe word can be broken down into , "there are twenty-two letters. These twenty-two letters are analogues of the Shechinah, as the Kabbalists explain. [Note: The letters are the most materialized form of expression, just as the Shechinah/Malchus is the most revealed and materialized level. There are four degrees of expression from lowest to highest: letters, crowns, vowels and musical notation.] The lying down in the place symbolizes the twenty-two letters of the bedtime Shema, which is likewise a yichud of the or bosom. This yichud forms a vessel for MalchusHashem pierces the nefesh [meaning, the suffering of the sunset] in order to form a vessel that will be able to contain a greater revelation of G-dliness and dveikus. And behold G-ds angels were ascending and descending upon it. The Kabbalists teach that the angels are the external aspect, while the souls of the Jewish people are the internal aspect. [Note: Angels are spiritual entities generated by the Divine will; Jewish souls are part and parcel of the Divine essence.] When a person is at the level of the external, then he only sees angels ascending and descendinghe sees a lot of ups and downs. When he is disconnected from the internal bond with the Creator, it appears as though when there is a revelation of Divine light, he rises. But if not, he falls. But Hashem wanted that Yaakov would sustain a perpetual ascentthe Tanna DVei Eliyahu teaches that Yaakov Avinu existed in the upper level of Gan Eden his entire life. He lived on this lofty plane despite the fact that he suffered many challengesfrom Eisav and Elifaz and Lavan, and all that he went through with his children.

Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

And he touched upon the placeYaakov Avinu did more than merely suffer through his challenges with love and bitul; he actually lay down there and made a true yichud, and bound himself to the Creator. In this sense, there can be no descent. If he had only been able to reveal this path to the Jewish people, they would never have needed to go down to exile, to the place of, and they will enslave them and oppress them for four hundred years. In truth, every tzaddik must, at times, be more connected with the Leah aspect and at others be more connected with the Rachel aspect. Even though, in general, there are souls that are inclined more to one pathway than the other, nevertheless one must develop expertise in both pathways. When one is bound to the worlds of Leah, then the dveikus is in the manner of light and pleasure. When one descends to the three lower worlds of Rachel and division, then one must form a yichud that generates mayin nukvina welling up of feminine waters of yearning for Hashem and self-sacrifice. This is the way of serving Hashem: sometimes it is face-to-face, and sometimes it is back-to-back. Hashems Promise For I will not abandon you until I do that which I told you.6 Hashem promised [Yaakov Avinu, and consequently] Dovid HaMelech that He would never abandon him. This is true of every single Jew as well; anyone who serves Hashem and longs to truly bond with Him is also under the protection of this promise. The person who really yearns to serve Hashem is part of malchus beis Dovid, because the light of the tzaddik Moshe the true shepherd [the generative spark of Moshiach ] = is enclothed within every single limb of the Jewish people. The light of Dovid was with the Avos, and he too was a part of this promise. No matter what happens to him, the tzaddik honors his father and motherhe honors both the mochin dAbba as well as the mochin dImmathe face-to-face

Bereishis 28:15 9

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revelation as well as the back-to-back revelationhe respects all of the light that Hashem sends, no matter what form it takes. This keeps him in constant contact with the Creator. This is the true meaning of Hashems promise: I will not abandon you. The Baal Shem Tov taught that one must not learn Kabbalah in a superficial manner, because this can lead a person to imagine the Divine attributes in a materialistic way, G-d forbid. It is only by following the light of the Baal Shem Tov that one can enter the avodah of yichudim properly. This requires a pure heart and an earnest desire to become one with the Creator. Yaakov Avinu cried out, Surely G-d is in this place, and I [ ]did not know! The word is an acronym of the four faces of the Divine chariot: , , , the lion, the eagle, the keruv and Yaakov himself. These four faces are the four worlds and levels. Yaakov Avinu was able to bind them all together by realizing that Hashem is with him on every level, at every facet, even when it is darkthis is the essence of the pure heart necessary for avodah. The Komarner Rebbe taught the third Beis Hamikdash cannot be built through external fulfillment of the Torah and its mitzvos; we cannot be like angels that ascend and descend. We must follow the path of the Avos, as taught by the Baal HaTanya in the name of the Rambam: the Avos were vehicles for the revelation of Hashems presence at every moment. Their thoughts never left the Divine chariot for an instant. Serving a Torah Scholar All of the Avos certainly knew the entirety of Torah. The sages taught that in the ultimate future, they will approach Avraham that he should bless and he will say, Go to Yitzchak, for he learned more Torah than I did. Yitzchak will then say, Go to Yaakov, for he did more shimush of the Torah than I did. Even though Avraham and Yitzchak were certainly vehicles of the Torah, nevertheless Yaakov Avinu was the completion of the Torahs merkavah. He did not only learn, he also did shimush. This is the concept of yichud with the Divine light that is within the Torahwhich is Torah lishmah. Learning Torah means for the purpose of the hei, to mitigate the judgments
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within Leah. The lower three worlds of BYA were divided from Atzilus through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. That flaw is rectified by drawing down the light of Abbaby learning Torah lishmah. The angels act as accusers against this pursuitbecause they rise and fall, and this is what binds a person to the perpetual ascent. This is nothing but the house of G-d, and this is the gate to heaven. Rebbe Mendel of Rimanov taught that the rectification of Malchusthe recognition that Hashem is with a person no matter what happensis the gate to heaven. The Bedtime Shema The recitation of the bedtime Shema is the hardest of avodos. When a person is tired, just as he is about to fall asleep, he must overcome himself to recite the bedtime Shema with proper focus. But this focus is not only in the actual recitation of the words, but in the inner meaning of the avodah, which is the binding of oneself to Hashem even when His presence is entirely obscured, and this must be undertaken all day long. And he called the place Beis El, and Ulam Luz was the citys original name. We know that Luz is the name of the city of truth; when one pushes himself to be completely honest with Hashem, he finds that Hashem brings him to the place of Beis Elto Hashems own house. The name Luz also refers to the bone that remains until the resurrection of the deadand that too depends upon the truth, the level of, give truth to Yaakov. Yaakov Avinu merited to reach this holy place because he never lied to Hashem, even with the least movement. Falsehood has no charm whatsoever on highlike when a person imagines that he can lie a bit and afterward return to the truth. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught about thisthat the Shechinah does not bind to a person when he has even a trace of falseness to him.7 And Yaakov made an oath, saying: If G-d will be with methis stone that I placed as a monument will be a house of G-d, and all that You give me I will tithe a tenth of it for You. After the tzaddik has done the great avodah of finding Hashem

Likutei Moharan II:80 11

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and making a yichud even in the darkness, no matter what the circumstance, then Hashem uplifts him and opens the way for him to an even loftier level of yichud within the letters of the Torah. To reach this, one must come to the tenth level, that of Kesser, which is symbolized by the tenth-tithe. At this point, the Torah is constantly opening up ever-deepening levels of dveikus and understanding. Then the power of chayah is activated, and the tzaddik is able to constantly give birth to new Torah concepts. If G-d will be with me and will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear Bread represents Daasthis is an even higher yichud than that of the lower three worlds or the bosom. The yichud of bread is that where the crown of Malchus is in his headthe Torahs constantly unfolding wisdom and dveikus gives rise to true Daas within him. That which was outside and encircling his mind like a crown has been brought inside. The Tikkunim of Atik And Yaakov raised his feet and went to the land of the dwellers of Kedem. Yaakov Avinu lifted his feethe uplifted Malchus to the Kadmo shel olam, to the One who preceded the universe. For from this well they watered the flocksand all of the flocks gathere thereand the stone was great upon the well Peace to you, and they said, Peace.8 The well is Daas, which is the root of peace. The Baal HaTanya explains that Daas dAtik is where Chochmah and Binah of Atik are joined together, and the roots of the yichud of the lower three worlds is also there. Atik is the root of ayin, the state of nothingnesstotal subsuming of the sense of individuation into the all-encompassing yeish of Hashem. This is why Yaakov Avinu said to the shepherds at the well, My brothers, from where [ ]are you? The place of the well is the place of ayin. The great stone that must be lifted off of the well is the stone heart that blocks a person from seeing Hashem in everything. Once it is lifted away, one can access the deep wellsprings of Daas.

Bereishis 29:1-5 12

Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

And Yaakov approached and rolled away the stone that was upon the well. Rashi explains that it was as though he removed a stopper from a flask, to demonstrate his great strength. The tikkunim of Atik can only be performed by a tzaddik whose power is greateven other tzaddikim are not always able to perform this avodah. The great strength of the true tzaddik is in revealing that everything physical is actually spiritual; this is, however, a very difficult avodah. The Shechinah is enclothed within every worldly matter, and so one must sanctify himself when eating and drinking and while doing other material things. One must sanctify his entire existence and his speechand one can accomplish this in the merit of the tzaddik whose power is great. And Yaakov kissed Rachel and raised up his voice and cried Rashi explains that he saw prophetically that she would not be buried with him. Burial symbolizes the place of challenge and the obscuring of Hashems presence. Even the true tzaddik can face a challenge of burial, of such obscuring of Hashems presence that he is literally working to subdue the force of the sitra achra itself. When faced with such a degree of challenge, even the true tzaddik can raise his voice and weep. And Yaakov told Rachel that he was her fathers brother Rashi explains, His brother in trickery. [Note: Meaning, his match in cleverness.] When the tzaddik whose power is great, who knows the tikkunim of Atik, faces the challenge that makes him raise his voice and weep, he must resort to trickery to successfully subdue the sitra achra. Even though the entire nature of the tzaddik is that of absolute truth, just like Yaakovs attribute is truth and his place was Luz, nevertheless, when it is necessary the tzaddik puts on the garb of trickery in order to redeem the Shechinah. He embraced him and he kissed himthe tzaddik makes it seem as though he and the sitra achra are good friends, and this is what disarms the force of evil. [Note: There were tzaddikim who knew how to enclothe their deepest teachings in mundane conversations and stories, as a means of tricking the sitra achra and penetrating to the deepest place without arousing any resistance from the other side.]

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Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

May Hashem have mercy on His people, and may we merit to enter into the rectification of Malchus even as we go out to Charan. May we merit to bind ourselves to Hashem in every circumstance, whether they are manifestations of chassadim or gevuros, until both Rachel and Leah are redeemed. May we immediately see Your Kingship, with the speedy arrival of our righteous redeemer in mercy. Let Your Soul Know Wisdom This is the meaning of: "" Let your soul (nefesh) know (dei) wisdom (Chochmah) and it will be a crown (Kesser) for your head.9 The light of Chochmah/Abba must be brought down and bound up with the aspect of nefesh, the level of Rachel and the lower three worlds. When this is accomplished, it will be a crown to your headthe light of Kesser will shine tino the place of constriction. We are approaching the holy days of Chanukah, when the light of G-dliness is brought down into the space below ten tefachim. May Hashem have mercy that we merit to make a yichud even in that low place, through the power of the tikkunim of Atik. The light of the Shechinah never descended there, but through the lights of Chanukah, its illumination is drawn down to the lowest realm. And this is why we add lights from night to nightin holiness we rise and do not descendjust as Yaakov rose constantly, without any descent at all. The Rambams opinion is that one who sees the Chanukah light should make a blessing even if he already fulfilled his halachic obligation by someone else making the blessing for him. The commentators ask why he should make another blessing if he has already fulfilled his duty? The deeper reason behind this is that the tzaddik lowers himselfthis is his trickeryfrom the level of one who has already fulfilled his duty to one who has not yet done so. [He pretends to be a smaller and simpler person than he really is.] In this way, the sitra achra does not know his true level, and he can perform the tikkunim that he needs to.
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From the Shabbos zemer Dror Yikrah, based on Mishlei 24:14. 14

Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Vayeitzei

The main preparation for the lights of Chanukah is to bind ourselves to their light even before Chanukah begins. There is no great benefit in arousing oneself to feel the days during Chanukah itself; we must prepare ourselves ahead of time. I have set up a candle for My anointed onethe candle must be set up in advance. The light of Chanukah is that of the redemption, and even though we are very far from all of these lofty avodos, nevertheless we must bind ourselves to the great tzaddikim who are like the seraphim who stand above it []"the thirty-six tzaddikim who parallel the thirty-six Chanukah lights. The tzaddik is like a fiery angel that sets all souls aflame and burns up all of the vanities of this world; the tzaddikim leave behind a trace of holiness in this world because they burned away all of their attachment to the physical. Although we are so far from this level, nevertheless by binding ourselves to such tzaddikim we too can merit the light of Chanukah and bring Hashems presence into the area below ten tefachim. The light of Chochmah is expressed by the Names [ " "a combination of permutations of the Shem HaVaYaH and the Name EHYH], and their combined value is 233, that of ."The lights burn until the leg is out of the marketplaceuntil the light of Hashems presence descends all the way to the lowest point, which is the shuk, the open market that is vulnerable to all negative influences. In the merit of binding ourselves to the light of the Baal Shem Tov, may we be worthy of raising up an eternal flameof experiencing only ascents. This is why there were tzaddikim who lit specifically within their homes. The Rama MiPano lit above the ten tefachim. Such practices were meant to trick the sitra achra so that Rachel can be saved from Lavan the trickster. May Hashem have mercy, and may our eyes see Your Kingship, with the immediate arrival of our righteous redeemer.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.


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