Parashat Emor
From Likutei Torah
By Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Sunday May 2, 2021
Translation and Commentary by William Schecter, MD
Unfortunately, we were unable to have the benefit of Rabbi Potash’s commentary this week as our class fell on Lag BeOmer. However, I looked over the Elter Rebbe’s commentary on Parashat Emor and it was very interesting. He discusses the definition of Holiness. What does it mean to be Holy? I have often wondered about this. I thought I would translate the Elter Rebbe’s commentary for you although my translation lacks the erudition of our teacher Rabbi Potash. However, perhaps it will be fruit for thought.
“And I will be sanctified within the Children of Israel” (Leviticus 22:32). We must understand the meaning of the word “within”. We must also understand the words of the Rabbis: that there are three classes of angels. One class says “Holy”, one class says “Holy, Holy” and the third class says “Holy, Holy, Holy the Lord of Hosts….” (Isaiah 6:3). This is also discussed in Masechet Hullin (91: b) the first class says Holy once, the second class says Holy twice and the third class three times. Just like we say (that is we say Holy, Holy, Holy the Lord of Hosts in the prayer immediately preceding the recitation of the Shma in the Shacharit morning Service…).
And we also must understand what is written re: the Nazirite1 “Throughout the term of his vow as a Nazirite, no razor shall touch his head; it shall remain consecrated until the completion of his term as Nazirite of the LORD, the hair of his head being left to grow untrimmed”. (Numbers 6:5)
And here it is written that “Seraphim are standing above Him” (Isaiah 6:2). And we have to understand how it is possible that they are standing above the Shechinah for are they not creatures (created by G-d) with boundaries? And here it is written “With you is the Source of Life” (Psalms 36:10) and why do we not say that You (are the Source of Life)? And all this will be understood prior to understanding the interpretation and meaning of Holy.
For the word Holy means separate. Meaning, as it is written, “I am the Lord, I have not changed” (Malachi 3:6) and He has no change, not prior to the creation of the world and not after its creation. As it is said “You existed prior to creation and you exist after creation”. Meaning that there is no change in Him caused by the creation of the world as it is written “I am the first and I am the last” (Isaiah 44:6) meaning that He is separate from all the worlds meaning that His existence gives life to al the worlds. He is not like the Soul that gives life to the body because the essence of the Soul is invested within the body to vitalize it and is grasped within the body.
The vitality spreads out to the three parts of the body: the brain within the head, the body and the legs. The vitality invested in the brain is much higher than the vitality in the body, referring to the power of thought and intellect and the senses such as vision, hearing, etc. The vitality in the body is inferior to this attribute meaning that the emotional attributes dwell in the heart which are inferior to the intellect. Also, the power of action that is in the hands is a level below that of the internal senses such as seeing and hearing. And the vitality in the legs is inferior to the attribute of the body. And all of this is because the brain receives the vitality first. And afterward the vitality is drawn down from the head to the body, etc. Therefore, the vitality that is in the body is lower than that in the head and so, by way of analogy, the vitality in the legs is lower than that in the body.
And so, the vitality that spreads out from the essence of the soul and separates into 3 general parts: head, body and legs, as referred to above. And each part has within it several specific organs. And the change in the organs comes from the revelation of the vitality drawn down to them from the soul in the brain which enlightens the superior attribute from the soul. The vitality of the soul is grasped and invested truly within the vessels of the body. The vessel of the brain is higher than the vessels of the body and for this reason the brain receives the superior attribute from the vitality of the soul which is the power of thought and intellect.
But although He gives life to all the worlds, He is not part of them and not part of the process of distribution. One cannot say that He has a head or an end at all because He is first and He is last (Isaiah 44:6). Meaning that He is not invested at all within the worlds, unlike the Soul which is invested in the body as discussed above. ……. Meaning that G-d’s essence gives life to the worlds but not by being invested within them, for there is no separation within Him at all and the principle is that the vitalization is drawn from Him because He is not invested within them. And this is the explanation of G-d’s Holiness meaning that He is separate from the worlds He created and although He gives them life and creates existence from nil, yet He is not enclothed within them. And, therefore, there is no change or feeling of admiration (or pride on His part) resulting from creation as opposed to the Soul which admires the actions of the body since it is invested and grasped within it.
Although we don’t have the benefit of Rabbi Potash’s erudite commentary on this week’s commentary by the Elter Rebbe, in the past, Rabbi Potash has said that God’s infinite greatness is such that all the wonderous creations of our world and all the other world’s (see modern String Theory which postulates the existence of an infinite number of universes—although I don’t claim to understand it) are as nothing compared to Him. This is why the Elter Rebbe is saying that G-d takes no pride in His creation—because it is such an infinitesimally small thing from which He is totally separate. And this separateness is the definition of Holy.