הParashat Yitro
Friday, February 5, 2021
Taken from Torah Or
by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the Elter Rebbe)
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter, MD
This draft has been neither edited nor approved by Rabbi Potash
The Elter Rebbe begins his commentary by quoting the first sentence of the 4th Aliyah of this week’s Parasha: “In the third month after the Exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, on this very day they came to the Sinai Desert”. He explains: The Torah says only “on this day” but it doesn’t say which day. The Rabbis of the Talmud taught that it was Rosh Hodesh (the first day of the month). The Elter Rebbe then quotes a small portion of the Talmud to make this point. I am including a longer portion to put it into context. “In the third month after the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai” (Exodus 19:1), without elaborating what day it was. And it is written there: “This month shall be to you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you” (Exodus 12:2). Just as there, the term “this” is referring to the New Moon, so too, here the term is referring to the New Moon.” (Shabbat 86:b)
The Elter Rebbe continues: Here (in the Torah) it is written “on this day” and there (in the Talmud) it is written “on this month”. Why is that so? The Elter Rebbe points out that before the Giving of the Torah there were righteous people and the Patriarchs who were “the Chariot”.
Rabbi Potash now gave an explanation of the use of the word Chariot. When the Elter Rebbe uses the word Chariot, he is using it as a metaphor for the obedience and devotion of our forefathers and mothers to G-d. Just as a Coachman directs the Chariot drawn by horses, so the true Tsadik’s actions are directed by G-d says Rabbi Potash. The Patriarchs lived approximately 500 years prior to the Giving of the Torah. The question is, says Rabbi Potash, what was so significant and transformative about the Giving of the Torah given that the Patriarchs lived righteous lives?
The merit of Abraham, says the Elter Rebbe, is his travel to the south, the Negev. This can be interpreted as his travel from spiritual level to spiritual level until he reached the Negev, namely the attribute of supernal love. Similarly, he would go from ascent to ascent until he reached the attribute of “the Chariot” (Merkavah-מרכבה). This refers to the supernal love revealed in his Soul. His journey would be from the depths to the heights, from the attribute of Egypt (which can also be read as limitations—the word for Egypt and limitations is the same in Hebrew) as it is written (the Elter Rebbe now quotes the Torah) “And Abram went up from Egypt” (Genesis 13:1) meaning he ascended from the corporeal boundaries and limitations and the Animal Soul, which limit and clothe the G-dly Soul of Man, to the point where his G-dly Soul is contemplating the Greatness of G-d and His spreading out upon His creations to whom He gives life. Now the Elter Rebbe quotes the Prophets to emphasize this point “You give them all life” (Nehemiah 9:6). I fill the Heaven and the Earth” (Jeremiah 23:24) and Your Kingdom is the Kingdom of all the worlds.
Rabbi Potash now commented. The Elter Rebbe is describing the paradox between body and soul. He is using the journey of Abram, ascending from Egypt, as a metaphor for ascending from boundaries and limitations. In many ways the human experience is defined by the limitations of the body. Not only is the body limiting but the animal Soul also limits the spiritual enlightenment that the body could potentially reach. Even though the energy of the Animal Soul is spiritual, it gives energy only the physical needs of the body. Its existence only focuses on self, self-preservation and physicality. The other dimension, the G-dly Soul, is concerned with the G-dly consciousness within our own existence separate from the physical aspects of life. One is selfish and one is selfless. We all have both of these mindsets simultaneously vying for supremacy. Rabbi Potash asks: “How can we serve rather than amass? “The growth and the journey that Abram began by leaving Egypt is really an internal transformation—leaving the physical for the spiritual. At the end of the day, as long as we are alive, we will have to contend with the limitations of the Animal Soul. There is a constant tug of war with the physical needs of the body and the spiritual needs of the G-dly Soul.
The body was created as a corporeal prison for the G-dly Soul, which lacks the power to leave its enclosure but rather must suppress and transform the lusts and desires of the Animal soul. The Elter Rebbe now discusses the paradox of a thief who is about to enter a structure and prays to G-d for success in his endeavor by quoting the Babylonian Talmud גנבא אפום מחתרתא (Ganva Apum Machtartah)1
This, says Rabbi Potash, is a manifestation of the tug of war between the Animal and the G-dly Souls.
The attribute of Abraham was his ascent from spiritual limitations to the cleaving of his Soul with supernal love to the point where he “disrobes” the garments (of the Animal Soul) in the Klipat Nogah2 from the corporeal body, to nullify them as he cleaves to G-d with the entirety of his Soul. This love comes from contemplation of the Eternal Divine Light which surrounds all the Worlds even though Your thoughts cannot comprehend Him (דלית מחשבה תפישא ביה—Dlait Machshavah Tfisah Bei) because “Your Kingdom is the Kingdom of all the Worlds” and the attribute of the King is Speech as it is written “the Word of the King is authoritative” (Ecclesiastes 8:4)
The Elter Rebbe then quotes one of the most important poems which form part of the Psukei DeZimra3 section of the Shacharit (morning) service: “Blessed is He who spoke and the world came into existence” The Elter Rebbe then says “the spoken word alone draws forth the vitality of all the worlds and the creation of existence from nil and this is none other than a single ray of light in the world.
Rabbi Potash commented that this small ray of light is an example of the fact that Malchut (Kingdom) is on the level of Speech which is the level of the creation of the world but this is an infinitesimally small part of the Greatness of G-d.
The Elter Rebbe continued: As it is written, the Lord shall be praised in the Heavens above and the Earth below (Mishneh Torah, Sefer Ahava, Seder HaTfilah) This is the praise of the work of Your hands--all the worlds, the Heavens and the earth and from the earth to the Heavens (is a distance of) 500 years, this is none other than the work of Your hands similar to the work of the hands of man by way of analogy. The physical world is only clothed in the attribute of the power of action4, that is the external garment of the Soul. So, the vitality which is worn in all the worlds is none other than the power of action which is the external power and the ray of light in the world which does not touch the essence of the Soul.
At this point we completed our discussion.
- The source for this quote is allegedly Brachot 63: a. I was unable to find this quote on this page. Perhaps I missed it.
- Klipat Noga: According the Kabbalistic thought, the G-dly Soul is encompassed by an infinite number of layers or peels (Klipah in Hebrew means peel, lie the peel of a banana). The first three Klipot contain only evil elements which are not subject to Holy transformation. The Fourth Peel, the Peel of light (Klipat Noga) contains both evil and G-dly elements. It is this Klipah which is subject to transformation by subjugation of the evil elements contained within.
- Psukei DeZima is the portion of the Shacharit (morning service) which occurs after a recitation of the various Sacrifices made prior to the Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 CE. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, the person who established Talmudic Academies outside of Jerusalem after the destruction of the Temple, had to devise a way to preserve the Jewish People now that the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Among his innovations, he came up with the idea that Prayer three times a day would replace the sacrifices in the Temple.
The Psukei DeZimra are a collection of Psalms and poems praising G-d. Their purpose is to open the heart of worshiper to the wonders and amazing works of G-d to prepare the worshiper for recitation of the Shm’ah
- The Power of Action (Koah hama’aseh-- כוח המעשה) refers to the ability to move something from one place to another. It is physical and superficial compared to the essence of the Soul.
Parashat Yitro 2
From Torah Or
By Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Gedalia Potash and William Schecter, MD
Thursday January 20, 2022
Continuation from last year, page סז ,first column, line beginning with the first word הנפש
The vitality invested in all the worlds is none other than the power of action which is the external power. The contracted ray of light does not touch the essence of the soul at all. “The creator of the Holy Ones, may Your name be praised forever etc”
Comment: This passage is taken from the First of the two blessings preceding the Sh’ma in the Morning Service
“The Holy Ones” are the angels and the supernal souls which have the attribute of Name alone which is also none other than the light and contracted ray etc.
Comment: The Souls have not yet been enclothed in the material body which occurs in the lower world of Asiyah.
They are not the work of your hands like the externality of the worlds because the power of action is invested in a certain vessel or remainder of a thing made by the hands of man. For example, here this power does not belong at all to the essence of the soul because it is made separate from it. The power does not draw the essence of man after it by grasping the vessel with the strength invested in it. This is not the case in calling His Name for the essence of man is drawn down. This Name is the ray of reduced light that touches the essence of the soul (of man) which is still bound and united with It. With all this, this is not but a ray of light.
Comment: The Elter Rebbe is distinguishing between the creations made by man which are by their very nature material as opposed to the G-dly Soul of man which has the energy of Divine Light, which has been reduced through the processes of Histalshalut (flowing down of the G-dly Energy to our world) and Contraction (of the G-dly Energy). The use of the word “Name” is a reference to G-d. We often refer to G-d as HaShem (the Name) in order to avoid reciting the tetragrammaton.
But G-d with His Glory and His Essence are elevated on high etc. He is the One who encircles all the worlds, above and below, they are equal before Him. As it is written “I am the L-rd I have not changed and therefore the soul will pour into the breast of its Father truly to be yearned for. For my soul will be ended and be truly nullified to Him alone as it is written: “Who is for me in the Heavens?” Meaning “I am the L-rd I have not changed and you the children of Jacob have not ceased to exist” (Malachi 3:6). Meaning that the Prophet (Malachi) is puzzled by Israel, after all “for I am the L-rd, I have not changed and what is the reason you have not expired - your soul has not ended. Something delays the soul and prevents the soul’s nullification as the passage indicates “and you the Children of Jacob have not expired”. Also when one contemplates the greatness of the Infinite Blessed be He because “I am the L-rd, I have not changed”, not every person merits the spiritual level of Abraham that is made “the Chariot” with the attribute of true nullification with the supernal love because of this contemplation.
Comment: Here the Elter Rebbe is responding to Malachi’s confusion about why the People of Israel have not completely nullified their material existence and become completely united with G-d losing their individuality. The answer, he says, is that few people have the spiritual merit of Abraham who was able to achieve self nullification and unite with G-d.
Here the reason is the weakness of the power of the soul which lacks the power to leave its sheath and prison (the body). As it is written “my strength fails because of my iniquity” (Psalms 31:11), the power of the soul failed and weakened. As it is written “But your iniquities have been a barrier between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2), not the iniquities really but the corporeality of the body and its physicality, it became a screen which divides. It is the limitation and border that limits and enclothes the soul until it brings down (the G-dly Light) and draws after it. The soul cannot ascend to leave it. And about this it is said “You took note of our fathers’ affliction” in Egypt, meaning the attributes of love and fear etc. Abraham is the attribute of love, etc.
And for this the Torah was given to Israel. The Torah is called courage It gives strength and courage to the G-dly soul to overcome the materialism of the body, the animal soul and its vulgarity, to leave the imprisonment (in the material Klipot-peels or layers surrounding the G-dly Soul). This is what is meant by “G-d will give courage to His people and will bless His people with peace” ( Psalms 29:11 ) And the Sages of the Talmud said He makes peace with the Heavenly entourage and the earthly entourage. Peace meaning the connection with the Heavenly entourage, that is the attribute of revelation of the Infinite Light Blessed be He truly to be bound and united with the attribute of true nullification. And the earthly entourage means the illumination of the powers of the G-dly Soul which is enclothed in the body and the animal soul so that there will not be any impediment or delay from the body or the animal soul, only that all agree and desire this union and thus suppress and transform darkness to light because the Torah is called courage and is also the resourcefulness that exhausts the power of sitra achra ( the evil inclination ) from the body because ”One people shall be mightier than the other,” (Genesis 25:23)
Comment: This passage refers to the struggle of Jacob and Esau as fetuses within Rebecca’s wound. Esau being a metaphor for evil and Jacob a metaphor for good.
When one arises the other falls. We must understand how it is that the courage of the Torah gives strength to the G-dly Soul to exhaust the power of bodily materialism and physicality. Is not the Torah enclothed with physicality such as Trumot (contributions to the sanctuary), tithing, etc? Nevertheless, it is known that source of the Torah and its foundation is in the Supernal Holy Mountain from the Infinite Light Blessed be He in His Essence and Glory which surrounds all the worlds “I am the L-rd I have not changed” and the Torah and the L-rd are all One Entity. The purpose of the receiving of the Torah is what is written in the Ten Commandments and G-d spoke all of these words to say “I am the L-rd thy G-d”. It is clear that this word “to say” is incomprehensible, it is unlike all the other “to say” expressions in the Bible where one person speaks to another. This is not the case with the Ten Commandments. It is impossible to interpret “to say” this way in the Ten Commandments for all of Israel heard, face to face, the Word of G-d, he who was here and he who was not here etc.
Comment: The last sentence above refers to the tradition that all the souls of Israel, both those that were alive during the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and those souls that were as yet unborn, including our own, were present and heard the Word of G-d.
But the meaning is “to say” and “to speak” all the words of the Torah which were already said to Moses at Sinai because the entire written Torah, the Mishnah, the Laws and the legends, all were told to Moses at Sinai as well as the names of the Tannaim and Amoraim ( ) who spoke the Laws in the Gemorrah (the Talmud) with the Talmudic dialectic.
Comment: The word Tannaim refers to the Rabbinic Sages (approximately 10-220 CE) whose views are recorded in the Mishnah. The word Tana is Aramaic for teacher. The word Amoraim is Aramaic for those who say or speak over the people. The Amoraim were the Rabbinic Sages who lived from approximately 200-500 CE. They debated the laws of the Torah and expounded on the Mishnah. Their debates are recorded in the Gemorrah (an Aramaic word for completion) Together, the Mishnah and the Gemorrah comprise the Talmud although the Talmud is sometimes referred to as the Gemorrah.
In this way, a specific G-d given law given orally to Moses at Sinai was actually spoken by the the Tannaim and Amoraim and later (second century CE and thereafter) recorded in the Talmud.
And as the issue of the words which I placed in your mouth and this power was given to Israel to be halacha (the law) which leaves their mouths (is spoken) is truly the word of G-d which was given to Moses at Sinai and was given at the time of the receipt of the Torah with the Ten Commandments saying what had already been said. This means that the nullification to G-d. No word is made separate by man to be spoken from the mouth of his essence as if it is his. Only as it is written “My tongue shall declare Your promise, for all Your commandments are just.” (Psalms 119:172) The Torah is your declaration but that my tongue shall answer with a different response which says what it says. (interprets the meaning of the Torah).
Comment: This last paragraph refers to Pharasaic Judaism which became the dominant form of Judaism which we have all inherited. However during the Tannaic Period there was great disagreement about whether the Oral Law, as subsequently recorded in the Talmud, was actually the Word of G-d transmitted to Moses at Mount Sinai. There were several groups of Jews that rejected this view. The three that come to mind are the Karaites, the Samaritans, and the Sadducees (the Tsadokim who were generally members of the Priestly caste). All three of these groups accepted the written Torah as the Word of G-d but rejected the Oral Torah. Therefore, they all were dependent upon the Temple and its sacrifices. Once the Romans destroyed the Temple in the year 70 CE, thrice daily prayer replaced the thrice daily sacrifices and Jewish culture was preserved in the Talmudic Academies both in Bavel and Eretz Yisroel. Small groups of Karaites and Samaritans persist to this day, some still living in Israel. The last comments of the Elter Rebbe connect the Holiness of the Torah with the Talmud making both documents one entity transmitted to orally Moses at Mount Sinai and subsequently written down.
