Dei Chochmah LNafshechah

Parshas Rei

Shalosh Seudos1 of Parshas Rei 5765

-" - - - ". - - -
[You shall surely ]do away with all the places where the nations whom you are driving out worship their gods, [whether they are] on the high mountains, on the hills, or under any luxuriant tree.2

The Impure Forces of Esav and Yishmael Each person must [work to] subdue the klippos, the evil forces, of Yishmael and Esav. These are the feet [lowermost level] of the evil forces which are [a perversion of] the aspects of Netzach / Victory, and Hod / Splendor.3 [The klippah of Yishmael believes in the strength of a Supreme Power that can do as it pleases. However, it does not believe in reward for good acts or punishment for bad. Esav, on the other hand, does believe in the aspect of reward and punishment for each action. However, he does not believe in the aspect of Ein Sof, that Hashem is truly boundless. Esav believes in justice, but in human justice, not Divine.4] During these days that immediately precede [and comprise] the month of Elul, we must know that it is not enough to regret whatever bad we have done and repent we must also combat the evil husks of Esav and Yishmael which are the feet [the support] of impurity. This is hinted at in the verse, "[ " You shall surely] do away with [The double language is usually translated with the preface you shall surely to indicate doubled emphasis.] The word [ destroy, in the singular] alludes
1 2

The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos. Devarim 12:2 3 See the Gra in Biur Agudal on Megillah 6b. 4 Excerpted from Dei Chochmah on Parshas Pinchas 5766. 3

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to the klippah of Esav, while [ destroy, in the plural] refers to the impure husk of Yishmael. The verse continues: " " All the places where the nations whom you are driving out worship their gods, [whether they are] on the high mountains, on the hills, or under any luxuriant tree. This means that these two types of impurity are inclusive husks that include every other evilall the places where the nationsworship their gods. [It follows that an aspect of] these two can be found in every non-Jewish culture in the world. For these two klippos correspond to the final letter of Hashems Name which parallels Malchus / Kingship. [Each of the non-Jewish nations manifests this-worldly sovereignty through the force of its Malchus dklippah, its perversion of Kinship within the realm of unholiness.] The Divine Name consists of four letters: .---Each letter represents a different sefirah or grouping of sefiros within the ten. The first letter (yud) represents Chochmah / Wisdom. The second letter (hei) represents Binah / Understanding. The third letter (vav) represents the six [which is also the numerical value of vav] sefiros that range between Chessed / Kindness, and Yesod / Foundation.5 The final letter (hei) of Hashems Name represents Malchus / Kingship. This final letter / sefirah of Malchus includes [receives and integrates all of the energies of] all of the higher sefiros including Kesser, which is itself alluded to in the kutzo shel yud, the apex of the first yud of the Divine Name. The fact that even Kesser is included within Malchus is alluded to in the verse regarding Esther, the paradigm of Malchus: "" And the crown (kesser) of kingship (malchus) was upon her head.6 [A parallel situation exists within the realm of unholinessthere are root forces that are inclusive of the rest.] Since Yishmael and Esav include the impurity of all other nations, one must toil to overcome these root flaws. Only in this way can one subdue all the places the non-Jews worshiped and defiled.
5

Chessed / Kindness, Gevurah / Might, Tiferes / Beauty, Netzach / Victory, Hod / Splendor, and Yesod / Foundation. 6 Esther 2:17 4

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There are four klippos which directly correspond with and act as counterpoints to the four letters of Hashems Name. These are symbolized by the four rivers that emerged from Eden: " ... . ". The name of the first is Pishon, it is the one that surrounds all of the land of Chavilah where the gold isand the name of the second river is Gichon, it is the one that surrounds all of the land of Kush. And the third river is Chidekel, it is the one that goes east of Ashur, and the fourth river is the Pras.7 The first river corresponds to the klippah of Bavel, the second to Madai, the third to the klippah of Ashur, and the fourth to the klippah of Pras. This final aspect of impurity alludes to Esav and Yishmaelthe all-inclusive klippos.8 King David said: "" He transformed the sea to dry land, they crossed the river on foot.9 Here, David HaMelech was referring to the Jewish people crossing the river Pras on footwhich signifies subduing the impure energies of Esav and Yishmael that are associated with the aspect of feet as explained earlier. When we finally subdue these paradigms of the forces of evil, we will merit to see the fulfillment of the verse: "" And his [Moshiachs] feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives.10 This standing indicates that we will finally wipe out all of the forces of impurity. When that happens, "" ' Hashem will be King over all the earth.11 This is the main work of the upcoming month of Elul: to traverse the river Pras by overcoming the impure forces of Esav and Yishamael which prevent one from truly retuning to His Creator.

7 8

Bereishis 2:11-14 See Pri Eitz Chaim, Krias Shema 3; Megaleh Amukos, Parshas Shemos; Eimek Hamelech, Shaar 5, Chapter 33. 9 Tehillim 66:6 10 Zechariah 14:4 11 Ibid., 14:9 5

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I Am for My Beloved, and My Beloved is for Me Subduing these forces is a very difficult job becasue Pras signifies the aspect of Binah / Understanding,12 which is the spiritual source of dinim, heavenly judgments. Hashem said regarding the ultimate redemption: "

"I will show them wonders, like the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt.13 This implies that just as in Egypt the Jewish people crossed the sea and subdued the Egyptians who corresponded to the Kesser, the Crown of unholiness, so too in the final redemption we will all have to crush the klippos of Esav and Yishmael by crossing the river Pras. The way to subdue these lowermost Netzach and Hod aspects of unholiness is by arousing an intense yearning for sanctity. During this month of Elul, the thirteen attributes of Divine mercy are aroused. On a practical level, this means that Hashems great mercy shines on us and we are drawn closer to Him. As the verse states: "" I am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for me14 [The name Elul ( )is an acronym of this scriptural phrase that is a profound statement of intimate spiritual connection on the level of allegory.] These thirteen attributes are the illumination of Arich Anpin. This is the world of powerful yearning for ones source. This longing to draw near to Hashem is aroused during the month of Elul when every Jews deep inner longing for Hashem surfaces. This is why every Jew feels an intense desire to cleave to Hashem with his entire being and follow His ways during the month of Elul. The Seven Beggars This is [a facet of] the meaning of Rebbe Nachmans story of the seven beggars in his Sippurei Maasios. In this story, Rebbe Nachman discusses two children who were lost to their families. This alludes to the Jewish people who were divorced from Hashem and yearn to return to Him by unifying Hashem and His presence in this world. [This is
12 13

See Shaar Hakavanos, Yom Kippur 1. Michah 9:17 14 Shir HaShirim 6:3 6

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accomplished by actively revealing Hashems presence here in this world.] This union is what every Jew aspires to effect by cleaving to his Creator. During Elul, when this thirst to join with Hashem is very prevalent, one must work to find the path to self-rectification. We must all find the proper path to Malchus [accepting Hashems Kingship over us through our actions and in doing so, revealing Hashems presence into the world]. Each of the seven beggars represents a different path to serve Hashem. The seventh beggar who had no legs symbolizes "" David, king of Yisrael, lives and exists who reveals the path through which one can cross the river Pras and crush the ultimate klippos. He achieves this by accessing the towering level of Reishah Dlo Isyadaah. [Note: The realm of Reishah Dlo Isyadaah, the Head Which Cannot be Known, is formed of the three levels of Chochmah, Binah, and Daas within Atik, the higher level of Kesser. The Ramchal explains that it cannot be known because it is too high for us to fathom at all, sometimes appearing one way and at others appearing differently.15 Dovid HaMelech is aligned with Malchus, which in the realm of holiness encapsulates and integrates all of the force of the worlds and sefiros above it.] One can grasp the meaning of this level through delving into the first story of the blind beggar. The first beggar represents our father Avraham, who is connected to Dovid HaMelech. This is the deeper meaning of the statement of our sages: In you [Avraham] they will seal [the first blessing of the standing Amidah].16 This is also the hidden message of the verse, "" And a cloud ( )covered the earth The word for cloud is an acronym for . One must unite the alef of Avraham to the dalet of Dovid because Dovid HaMelech [the last and lowermost aspect] rectifies everything. This is the blind beggars story:

15 16

Kalach Pischei Chochmah Pesachim 117b 7

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Once, people were traveling in ships at sea. A storm wind came and broke the ships apart. The people were saved, though, and they came to a certain tower. They went up to the tower and found in it all types of food, drink, and garments, and all that they needed. There was every manner of good there, and all of the delights that exist in the world In this part of the story, the tzaddik reveals that how to yearn for Hashem. The ships clearly allude to the bodies of the travelers.17 Every Jew longs only to do the Creators will and cleave to Him. The main barrier to this is the body which obscures Elokus, G-dliness, and distances one from attaining true connection by entrapping a person in its material desires. The storm wind in the story represents the illicit desires that burn inside. These are also the great waves that threaten to sink the boat. The truth is that every Jew wishes to repent his every misdeed during Elul. He begins to feel the pain of his sins and wishes to change his ways, but the body blocks him from acting on such feelings. In order to overcome this, the travelers go to the tower which has everything good. This represents gaining access to Arich Anpin, which the Zohar Hakadosh says has, nine Heichalos, nine Chambers, which dont shine and dont have an aspect of ruach or neshamah. No one exists there; none connect to it and none know it.18 These nine supernal chambers represent nine different paths of longing for Hashem which are the keys to entering the Kings Palaces and enjoying His treasures. Through entering these levels which represent the Tower, one subdues the klippos of Esav and Yishmael. This is why the story goes on to discuss the survivors as elders, each of whom remembers an even more ancient event. Memory arouses a powerful yearning for that which is fondly recalled. From the fact that a person recalls something, he demonstrates that he recognizes that it is good and that he desires it greatly. The Eldest of the groups of survivors is the tzaddik who teaches them all what to long for and how to yearn for it.

17 18

See Sefer Halikutim, Parshas Bo; Biurei Aggados HaGra on Bava Basra 73a. Zohar Hakadosh, Parshas Pikudei 269a; See Likutei Moharan I:24. 8

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And they spoke up and said: Each person should tell an old tale, that of his very earliest memory. And there were elders and youngsters there, so they honored the eldest among them to speak first. He raised his voice and said to them: I remember when they cut the apple from the branch Rebbe Nachman explains later in the story that severing the branch alludes to the cutting of the umbilical cord. This represents infanthood, and the image is meant to teach us that one is first born on his spiritual path through yearning to give birth to a child, which represents the holy Torah. When Elul comes and one doesnt know how to begin his process of repentance, the first step is to learn Torah. Just as in the material world one who has no children is considered dead,19 so too is it true of the spiritual realm. Torah is the fruit of the Eitz Hachaim, the Tree of Life; it is an aspect of ones child. One without Torah insight [is a person with limited or no spiritual vitality and] is considered like a dead man. Even one who is working hard to achieve true connection with Hashem cannot begin without the holy Torah. By developing an understanding of the Torahthe revealed or the hiddenone comes to recognize Hashem. [The reason for this is quite simple:] Israel, Torah, and Hashem are in essence one. One who wishes to be one with the King must first recognize the paths of the King. This is the first Heichal without which it is impossible to ascend further toward Hashemon must yearn for true understanding of the holy Torah. The second tzaddik in the story reveals the second Chamber. He remembers the ner dolek, the candle burning overhead while he was in the womb. The Talmud teaches that a baby in his mothers womb is provided with a lit candle over his head with which he can see form one end of the world to the other; by its light, an angel teaches him the entire Torah.20 This second tzaddik reveals that one must yearn that the Torah he studies should become a vessel to receive the light of G-dliness. One must learn the holy gemara by connecting to the concept of gumri, which means coals. [This teaches that learning Talmud properly heats one up with a burning desire for Hashem.]
19 20

Nedarim 64b Niddah, 30b 9

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One who learns in this manner becomes holy to Hashem. We must vigilantly guard against learning Torah in a dry, exclusively intellectual way. One should never believe that only the outer, seemingly simple meaning of the Torah is true, chas vshalom. One must know that the Torah is really composed of pure and sweet G-dliness. In order to reach this level, every Jew must plead with Hashem and petition with Him to feel the depth of the holy Torah. We must yearn that the Torah be for us a ner dolek, an candle over our heads, so that our entire selves, body and soul, will be illuminated with the supernal light of Torah. After this is the third tzaddik, the one who remembered the formation of the fruit. He reveals the third Heichal and path to Hashem. Rebbe Nachman explains that the formation of the fruit alludes to the formation of the embryo in the mothers womb. On this level, one actually grasps the deeper underlying structure and reasoning of the holy Torah. On this level, one actually sees how every detail of the revealed Torah is actually an outgrowth of the hidden Torah, as revealed by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the holy Zohar. The fourth tzaddik reveals that one must then climb to the level where he remembers when they conveyed the seed to plant the fruit. This means the time when the seed took root in the womb. At this level, a person not only sees in general some of the deeper reasoning behind every part of the revealed Torahhe even remembers the holy unification that forms or gives birth to the particular Gemara or Tosafos. The fifth tzaddik discloses that one must recall the wise men that brought about the fruit. Rebbe Nachman revealed that this means recalling the drop when it was in the mind of the progenitor. [Because the roots of procreation are actually in the mind. This is even true on a physical level, since even the hormones are controlled by the pituitary gland.] This tzaddik teaches that one must long mightily to know the Torah in its sense of being Novlos Chochmah shel maalahthe outgrowth of the supernal

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wisdom.21 On this level, every letter of Torah is a vessel to unify Chochmah and Binah, Yichudah Ilaah and Yichudah Tataah, to effect an upper and lower unification. The Baal HaTanya taught that many people simply cannot bear to think deeply about the fact that everything is an expression of G-dliness even though every Jew believes this in a shallow and abstract way. To deeply contemplate this is overwhelming for them since the body fears the feeling that the entire reality is nullified to Hashem. The way to overcome the reservations of ones material nature is by accessing the Torah on a level where it gives one the strength to grasp the words of the sages who give birth to the Torah. These sages reveal the Yichudah Ilaah and Yichudah Tataah. These deep unifications give one the strength to completely nullify himself to Hashems Will. This is the true path to truly nullify all of the seventy nations of the world, the root of whose power is illicit desire. The sixth, seventh and eighth tzaddikim remember the taste, smell and appearance of the fruit, respectively. This means that one grasps the three levels of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah. On this level, one is filled with a much deeper yearning while learning the holy Torah. He not only longs to comprehend the various unifications of Hashemhe longs for closeness to the Creator Himself. Although Hashem constricted His revealed Gdliness at the outset so that it would not be readily apparent in this world [of free will], one who has reached this level accesses the hidden G-dliness that was constricted and ascends to the level before the world was createdwhen there was nothing at all but G-dliness. [At this level one no longer has to make a conscience effort to see or find Hashem; every breath or movement is with Him naturally. At such towering levels,] every thought and every movement is with Hashem. The ninth tzaddik, the blind beggar himself, confesses that while he is completely an infant [he appeared to be the youngest of them all, since they told their stories in regressive order of age], yet he remembered all that the other tzaddikim could recall. In addition, he remembered the state known as nothing at all. Rebbe Nachman
21

Bereishis Rabbah 44:17 11

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explains that that this tzaddik remembers that which was before the nefesh, ruach, and neshamah existed: an aspect of Ayin, of absolute nothingness. At this level, one has finally has ascended to the galgaltah [the cranium or headspace] of Arich / Kesser, where one is so completely subsumed to Hashem that he no longer feels himself individuated at all in any way. It is not him who is finding Hashem through the many levels of learning Torah or the levels that preceded the constriction of Hashems presence. He has joined with such a deep aspect of Kesser that he no longer feels his own existence at all. This last level is achieved only when the body has completely ceased to be a barrier to self-nullification. All bodily desires have been completely transformed to holiness. By traversing all these high levels of yearning, a person comes to the point where he can cross the river Pras, the tower that contains all manner of good where one overcomes his material desires. This tower represents the nine Heichalin of Arich Anpin, the place of refuge from the breakage of the material ship of the body and its desires. In this place, the Shechinah is able to rest placidly from all spiritual enemies. When Elul arrives, people have a tendency to give up from the outset. They say to themselves, Who am I to think that I can actually achieve such levels in serving Hashem? Did I not feel the same yearning for spiritual elevation last year? Didnt I want with all my heart to draw near to Hashem and change for the better? Despite this I remained exactly the same. How can I possibly hope to enter the gates of true closeness to the King? The way to overcome this is by entering the nine Chambers of Arich Anpin, through longing for the nine levels of closeness described at length above. [Even if one cannot yet truly change for the better, he can always yearn for whatever he wishes with his whole heart. This path is always open to every single one of us.] This is the way to cross the river Pras and subdue the klippos of Esav and Yishmael that prevent us from truly drawing near to Hashem.
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The ultimate purpose, however, is to access the level of the great eagle in the story which represents the holiness of Shabbos. On Shabbos, one attains the light of Atik. This represents the pleasure of one who enjoys the unity of Hashem, and it is called an aspect of wealth.22 [This wealth can also be understood as abundance. The levels discussed earlier are founded on yearning, which is the experience of lack that inspires the drive to attain that which is missing. At the level of wealth, there is no experience of lackit is a pure pleasure in what is, not the sweetness of yearning for that which is yet to be.] This level is higher than the nine discussed earlier. One who reaches this level feels the holiness of the Torah so intensely that he feels incredible joy and pleasure from every single word of Torah and from every experience of supernal yichudim, unifications. Say Malchuyos before Me, That I Should be Made King over You Hashem first created the world through the attribute of strict justice. When He saw that the world could not exist according to unmitigated strict justice, Hashem joined the attribute of mercy to justice.23 On a deeper level, this means that Hashem created the world initially for man to recognize His Kingship at all times. This means grasping that there is nothing besides Hashem. This is ones main objective, the point of his existence. When one recites, Modeh ani lfanechah Melech chai vkayamI give thanks before You, living and existing Kingin the morning, he is fulfilling his purpose in the world, for our entire purpose is to say malchuyos, words that establish Hashems Kingship, before Him. In this way, one accepts Hashems Kingship over himself and cleaves to Him. The attribute of mercy that Hashem added to mitigate harsh judgments is the holy Torah itself. Only through Torah can one attain complete unity with Hashem. One who yearns for the Torah embodies an aspect of Yesod / Foundation which influences Malchus, the aspect of unification and emunah, faith. [Yesod is the sefirah directly
22 23

See Likutei Moharan I:60 Bereishis Rabbah 12 13

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above Malchus and is its prime influence.] The more one yearns for Torah, the more he influences and empowers Malchus and Yesod. This is the meaning of the verse: " " ' You shall surely give to him, and your heart will not grieve you when you give to him, because it was for this purpose that Hashem your G-d blessed you in all your actions and all your endeavors.24 This is explained by the Arizal as follows: When Yesod bestows Chassadim [influences that are from the side of Kindness] to Malchus, it too is magnified. [Just as the Jew possessed of abundance shall surely give (a double language for emphasis, which implies that in giving, nothing is lost), without begrudging the act, because it is ordained for him to serve as a channel of influence.] This is also the meaning of our sages statement: Say Malchuyos before Me, that I should be made King over you25 Every Jew must enter into Rosh Hashanah knowing that there is nothing at all besides Hashem. This is the deeper meaning of the phrase I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me. This can only be achieved through grasping the holy Torah as explained above. The main job of every Jew during Elul is to enter into an intense longing for Torah and the light of Hashem until one finally achieves the level of absolute nothingness described earlier. Even when one is involved in physical endeavors such as eating and drinking, his mind and heart should never stray from dveikus, from the goal of cleaving to Hashem through the levels of longing described above. One reason why tzaddikim recite the entire Tikkunei Zohar during Elul is to arouse this intense yearning through the purification of their material selves that such study imparts. Hashem is more than willing to forgive each and every Jew. He pleads with us [as it were] to draw close to Him by entering the spiritual holy of holies. In this way, our every sin is forgiven [much like when the high priest entered the holy of holies on Yom Kippur].

24 25

Devarim 16:10 Tosefta Rosh Hashanah 1:11 14

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The Tikkun of Eating The best time for a Jew to truly arouse and reveal a genuine and powerful longing for Hashem in an aspect of Arich Anpin is while eating. The reason for this is because the supernal alefs are revealed specifically when one eats.26 [Rebbe Nachman explains elsewhere that the alef is a physical representation of the unification of the upper world and the lower worldthere is an upper yud that is linked by a vav to a lower yud. Eating has the potential to embody such a joining since it is possible to permeate the most physical of activities with the most lofty intentions.] These alefs symbolize the Alufo Shel Olam, the Lofty One of the universe, who can be accessed on a much deeper level specifically while eating. Hahsem wishes to bestow beneficence on His creatures, and He confers upon us all kinds of pleasures and delights. But one must toil to tap into the spiritual source of these pleasures, and this is a revelation of the oneness of Hashem. The simplest way is by internalizing Hashems kindness in giving us sustenance. [It is not enough to merely consider this momentarily.] We must seek to [internalize this and] cleave to Him through this thought. While learning Torah, one must also search constantly for the light of Hashem that fills it. By doing this, one will also seek closeness with Hashem while eating, just like the holy tzaddikim who are completely one with Hashem while they eat. One should not eat like an animal that lacks awareness of Hashem. [This will also block the Torah from truly penetrating into ones innermost self.] As the Midrash teaches, Before praying for the Torah to enter, pray that food and drink do not enter.27 Usually food brings one to forget the spiritual. One who eats properly uses the food to remind himself of the immanence and kindness of Hashem and sanctifies his body to Hashem. When he returns to his learning he will surely search for the light of Hashems Oneness in a deeper way than he did before the meal. In this way, one will eventually merit to truly be subsumed in the light of Hashem. The main work of a Jew during Elul is to yearn
26 27

See Kavanas Haachilah of the Rashash and Likutei Moharan II:7. Tanna Dvei Eliyau 26 15

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mightily to follow the way of holy yichudim.28 Even just seeing a holy action or the living out of a level discussed in a sefer [by another] and longing to fulfill it also effects a great yichud. The main thing is to endlessly yearn for Hashem until one attains the level of wealth discussed abovefeeling absolute pleasure in every minute aspect of observance and study. This is the deeper meaning of the verse: " " Yisrael will rejoice in its Maker, the children of Tzion will exult in their King.29 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.30 Let the lowest aspect of your nefesh ascend the degrees of self-nullification which is the path of Chochmah. Then you will come to the level of Kesser, which is what Hashem wants for all of us. One must search for pleasure for his soul by exclusively yearning for the wisdom of the Torah. In this way, one redeems his neshamah from entrapment in the prison of physical desires. Through the many levels of yearning for ever-deeper understanding of Torah [one will achieve the highest levels of Kesser discussed above]. When each of us yearns in this way, a desire will be aroused in all Jewish souls to draw ever nearer to the light of Hashem. This is how we will come to see the fulfillment of the promises: And the lost ones will come from the land of Ashur, and those who were driven from the land of Egyptand all flesh will see together that the mouth of Hashem has spoken. 31 May we see eye to eye, Hashems return to Tzion, and may You alone, Hashem, rule over all of your Creations. Amen. Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.
28 29

See Shaar Ruach Hakodesh, 44. Tehillim 149:2 30 From the Shabbos zemer Dror Yikrah, based on Mishlei 24:14. 31 Yeshayahu 40:5 16

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Sefer Tanya
Chapter VII, Part 1
On the other hand, the vitalizing animal soul in the Jew, that which is derived from the aspect of the klippah which is clothed in the human blood, as stated above, and the nefesh-aspect of the animals, beasts, birds and fishes that are clean and fit for [Jewish] consumption, as also the existence and vitality of the entire inanimate and entire vegetable world which are permissible for consumption The animal soul within a person includes all of the four degrees of existence: inanimate, vegetable, animal and human. All of them must be rectified spiritually by being incorporated within G-dliness. When a person repairs his own soul, he uplifts all of the vitality throughout all of creation to Elokus. Until that is accomplished, their spiritual vitality is drawn from klippas nogah where a complete revelation of G-dliness is not possible. As well as the existence and vitality of every act, utterance and thought in mundane matters that contain no forbidden aspectbeing neither root nor branch of the 365 prohibitions and their offshoots, either on the explicit authority of the Torah, or by rabbinic enactmentyet are not performed for the sake of heaven but only by the will, desire and lust of the body; and even where it is a need of the body, or its very preservation and life, but ones intention is not for the sake of heaven, that is, to serve G-d by use of the body Even if he only eats what he needs in order to sustain his bodyand Hashem made it so that every person requires food and drink and different sorts of nourishment, He who created many souls and their lacks, for all that You createdif his intention is not for the sake of heaven to serve Hashem via that food, then it is drawn from klippas nogah.
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Then all these acts, utterances and thoughts are no better than the vitalizing animal soul itself; and everything in this totality of things flows and is drawn from the second gradation [to be found] in the klippos and sitra achra, namely, a fourth klippah, called klippas nogah. For in this world, called the World of Asiyah (Action), most, indeed almost all, of it [the klippas nogah] is bad, and only a little good has been intermingled within it (from which come the good qualities contained in the animal soul of the Jew, as is explained above). This [klippas nogah] is an intermediate category between the three completely unclean klippos and the aspect and degree of kedushah. Hence it is sometimes absorbed within the three unclean klippos (as is explained in Eitz Chaim, Shaar 49, beginning of Chapter 4, citing the Zohar). And sometimes it is absorbed and elevated to the aspect and degree of kedushah, as when the good that is intermingled in it is extracted from the bad, and prevails and ascends until it is absorbed in holiness. Such is the case, for example, of the one who eats rich meat and drinks mulled wine in order to broaden his mind for the service of G-d and His Torah. As Ravah said: Wine and fragrance [make a mans mind more receptive], or in order to fulfill the command concerning enjoyment of Shabbos and festivals. In such a case, the vitality of the meat and wine, originating in the klippas nogah, is distilled and ascends to G-d like a burnt offering and sacrifice The Maggid Meisharim [the angelic voice of the Mishnah that communicated through the Beis Yosef] and other works explain that every holy thought that a person has while eating and every teaching from the Mishnah that he learns while in the middle of his meal transforms everything that he eats into an offering before G-d. The Chozeh of Lublin said of his student, Rav Dovid of Lelov, Look at him eat; with every bite he is bringing korbanos While it is true that we are very far from the level of the tzaddikim, nevertheless every Jew has the potential to sanctify his eating, and must take a personal accounting about the way he eats. For he must eat in any case; why, then, should he eat in a way that only empowers the material, and not so that he will have

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greater energy to serve G-d? If he thinks holy thoughts he can uplift all of his eating, and this happens even if he just focuses on how the food will give him a feeling of joy in his avodah. It is certainly true that one mustnt just follow after his hearts desires, but even so one neednt be overly meticulous about every bite that he puts in his mouth, if it was strictly necessary to sustain him or not, because this can lead to [obsessive thinking and] depression. Hashem wants every Jew to feel joy in his Divine service. We might ask a question about these ideas, though. It is well known that in the final discourse that the Baal HaTanya delivered while fleeing the Russian authorities just before his death on the road, he said that the avodah of Shabbos and Yom Tov is not the uplifting of beirurim [holy sparks caught within the klippos]. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov also taught that the food eaten on Shabbos and Yom Tov are entirely Elokus and draw a person closer to G-d.1 But it seems that, here in the Sefer Tanya, the Alter Rebbe is saying that even the foods of Shabbos and Yom Tov are rooted in nogah and are only uplifted when eaten lkavod Shabbos and for the sake of heaven. We can understand this by mentioning the Spanish Kabbalists teaching, that even within the realm of holiness there are countless levels; even Kesser is called black when compared to the Primal Cause of all.2 The Rebbe Rashab (Rav Shalom Ber) of Lubavitch also taught that the beirur of Shabbos is that of food from food, rather than, food from waste. Every degree of holiness is evaluated in relation to the level that is above it, and there is always room to ascend. On Shabbos, the beirur is taking the good from the good, and the level of the person who eats for the honor of Shabbos is certainly greater than the person who just eats. The Vilna Gaon taught that this parallels what we find in the Torah itself regarding offerings: Beware, lest you eat and be satisfied, and your heart will be haughty, and you will forget Hashem your G-d.3

1 2

Likutei Moharan I:125 Zohar, Raya Meheimana, Parshas Pinchas 225a 3 Devarim 5 19

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We see from this that even within the realm of eating for a mitzvah, one must still be focused on doing so for the sake of the mitzvah and not as an exercise in gluttony. So, too, when a man utters a light joke in order to sharpen his wit and rejoice his heart in G-d, in His Torah and service, which should be practiced joyfully, as Ravah was wont to do with his pupils, prefacing his discourse with some witty remark with which he enlivened the students4 It really is a grievous sin to interrupt ones learning to speak of vain matters, and the Gemara says of the person who indulges in idle talk during learning, He will be fed burning coals.5 However, if a person feels as though he is down, he should follow the practice of the tzaddikim and do what he can to uplift his spirits even when in the middle of learning, because G-d wants him to learn Torah while in a state of joy. Just as with eating, his joking and lightening of the spirit should be done lshem shomayim and not without the right intention. This is the baseline level of the mitzvah to be holy; even though there are far loftier levels of holiness where one does not even derive physical pleasure from the food, nevertheless one cannot skip levels while ascending the ladder of holiness. If a person wants to rush into reaching levels to which he is not yet fit, it first and foremost reveals that he does not appreciate the significance of the level that he is actually on and all that he can really do right now. The person who does not value the avodah that he can do and stays stuck in fantasies of where he would like to be will never really come to holiness. For this reason, the baseline of is simply to remember that he is eating so that he can have strength to serve Hashem. This avodah is straightforward and fairly easy. The spiritual power to fight against the temptations of this world comes from having discovered a capacity for spiritual pleasure within his own soul. Meaning, one first focuses on feeling a bond with G-dliness, and after that to remember the Divine light that vitalizes everything. At that point, he will realize deeply to what extent
4 5

Shabbos 30b Chagigah 12 20

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gluttony and worldly desires interrupt this very delightful bond with G-d. This will keep him from falling into materialism and physical lusts. The reality is that a person is always rising and falling in this matter, because the battle is very difficult. Klippas nogah is interested in causing one to fall terribly, and so the real struggle is in clarifying klippas nogah. But even before he can engage in this struggle, he needs preparationthat there is a basic level of holiness below which he will not descend, no matter what. And that is his awareness that what he requires for his physical sustenance is a part of his service of G-d. Even if a person falls into the worst lusts, he is still not free of his duty to fulfill the mitzvah of, you shall be holy, for a single moment. Every person has his boundary below which he feels that he has fallen into the taavos of this world, and he is liable to make the error of thinking that if he fell he no longer has any avodah to do with regards to kedushah. This is just wrong. Wherever a person is, he has some way in which he can sanctify himself. If a person will only hold on to his emunah in the Creator, and remember that he always has a stake in holiness. Then, even if he indulged in all kinds of foods, he can still recall that the pleasure and happiness he felt in his indulgence can nevertheless contribute something to his avodas Hashem at some point. This whole subject of extras and luxuriesmeaning, all of the things that we do not strictly need for survival but which draw us neverthelessis very complex, because it differs from person to person. Different people have different physical and emotional needs when it comes to material pleasure, but all of us have a common mission to leave behind the things that are truly extra, and remember the baseline of holinessthat the consumption of physicality is for the purpose of avodah. This will keep us on track. When a Jew manages to fight against the temptation of extras properly, he becomes worthy of the Kings daughter, in the words of the Zohar. For such a great reward [the Torah, the Shechinah], one really has to fight; not like most people, who are always up and down. The wavering in the fight with klippas nogah is a symptom of the

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beinoni condition; the intermediate level, where one is always struggling, always slipping, but always doing teshuvah and resuming the fight. On the other hand, he who belongs to those who gluttonously guzzle meat and quaff wine in order to satisfy their bodily appetites and animal nature [nefesh]without focusing on it enhancing their avodas Hashem, find themselves disassociated from Hashem rather than drawn to Him. This means that even if one sets aside time for Torah and avodah, if he forgets about Hashem while he eats and only consumes to satisfy his desires, he receives vitality from klippas nogah. This makes it more difficult for him to learn and pray properly. [Which is] derived from the aspect of the element of water of the four negative elements contained within it [the klippas nogah], from which comes the evil trait of lust. In such case, the energy of the meat and wine consumed by him is degraded and absorbed temporarily in the utter evil of the three

unclean klippos, and his body temporarily becomes a garment and vehicle for them, until the person repents and returns to the service of G-d and His Torah. Since the meat and wine were kosher, they have the power to revert and ascend with him when he returns to the service of G-d. This is implied in the terms heter and mutar [permissibility and permitted, but which literally means, unbound]; that is to say, that which is not tied and bound by the power of the chitzonim [external negative forces] preventing it from returning and ascending to G-d. Nevertheless, a trace [of the evil] remains in the body. For this reason, the body must undergo the chibut of the grave [the various afflictions and disintegrations of the body after death], as will be explained later. So, too, with regard to the vitality of the drops of semen emitted from the body due to raw animal desire, by him who has not conducted himself in a holy manner during intimacy with his wife while in her state of purity

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The Baal Shem Tov taught about the sages teaching, It is a good sign for a person if he dies on erev Shabbos,6 that there are several times that are ideal of teshuvah. The first is immediately after the sin; the second is that night, when taking stock of his day; the third is on erev Shabbos, when every soul is judged between the time of Minchah and when Mizmor Shir Lyom HaShabbos is sung. This is what it means to die on erev Shabbosto die while in a state of repentance. This is truly a good sign for him, since it will spare him the cleansing suffering of the grave. This is the sweetness [ ]of Shabbos. The time of erev Shabbos parallels the klippas nogah, because the days of the week are like the full klippah while Shabbos is the realm of holiness. Adding onto the time of Shabboswhat we call erev Shabbos parallels nogah, since it is the gray area between the mundane and the holy. That is why erev Shabbos is especially suited for uplifting and rectifying klippas nogah. In the Emek HaMelech we find that these moments are ripe for the arrival of Moshiach, because it is his mission to liberate us from the bonds of materialism. A Jew must therefore, at the very least within his innermost soul, stay focused all day long on serving Hashem. Everyone also needs to take a break and speak a bit with others to sharpen his mind sometimesconversing little is one of the forty-eight means through which one acquires Torah,7 and this implies that a little is necessary8 but it requires discretion. If a person spends a great part of his time speaking, it proves that he is not seeking a connection with Hashem. The Vilna Gaon taught that if a person is used to speaking a lot with others, he receives powerful vitality from it and can spend entire days and nights in conversation without even noticing how much time he is wasting. Bitul zman is a very powerful klippah, and if a Jew finds that he is spending a lot of time talking about useless things, he should do teshuvah right away. This will cleanse him of the vitality he was receiving from the klippah and will release him from the punishment that he would otherwise deserve.
6 7

Kesuvos 103b Avos 6 8 Tiferes Yisrael, Noam Elimelech 23

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We have already learned that every Jew has two basic types of mochinthat of Chochmah and that of Binah. Paralleling them, we wear the tefillin of Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam. The matter of Binah is that of struggle; the work that one does to uplift the animal soul from klippas nogah. This avodah is embodied by the tefillin of Rashi. And even though it really involves great effort, it is also one of the mochin, the mental capacities that themselves provide a person with spiritual vitality. Just as physically there are people who enjoy working not only because it provides them with a livelihood, but because they take pleasure in the work itself, so too does the avodah of Binah confer a degree of satisfaction and vitality. The sages said, The person who enjoys the work of his own hands is greater than one who has fear of heaven. The Shomer Emunim taught that this is an allusion to building up the aspect of Binah. One needs to develop within oneself the capacity for enjoying expending effort, because a spiritual potential must be used in order to really obtain it, and is lost when it is left idle. One needs the capacity for struggle that is rooted in Binah in order to grow in Torah study and to pray properly. The more one works at this, the more he finds that it gives him holy life-force. This is the source of the yeishus of holiness that exists within the world of Beriyah [Binah]. This helps us to better understand the statement of the sages, that a man who is not involved in either Torah study or labor may not give testimony in court. It means that he does not expend effort at all, and that deprives him of a holy sense of self-yeish. Idleness can therefore drive him crazy, because he is divorced from the reality of his own existence in the world. He falls into a fantasy world and is not really living. The work of Binah is the first beirur of klippas nogah, because the sparks that fell into klippah have the nature of [ "the 52-Name, or the lowermost permutation of the Divine Name]. Its force is essentially desire; a persons desires either drag him down toward eating what he wants and sleeping all he wants, or he harnesses that force of desire for his avodah. It goes in stages; at first, he needs to capitalize on his desire in order to manage to learn for an hour a day, then he ascends to two, and so on until he

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reaches the level of the tzaddikim who are constantly involved in avodas Hashem. There is no end to the effort that can be expended, and it expands by degrees. This is the first levelto harness ones ability to work, and in this way drive off the klippah that only seeks worldly pleasures and relaxation. One starts to struggle in the service of Hashem. In general, this avodah of Binah still has a drawback, since all of the selfstruggleno matter how high a person ascendscan leave him with a little too much yeish. The chitzonim still have a hold there, because deep down he can feel, It was my strength and the force of my hand that brought him so far. To counteract this tendency, one also requires the aspect of Chochmah. Rav Meir of Premishlan described this as the soton that is before us and behind usthe negative force of pride that feeds off of our accomplishments and efforts. Chochmah, then, is the real completion of the beirur, because it is the light of self-nullification before Hashem. After all of ones work to serve Hashem, the light of Chochmah makes clear to him that it was G-d who accomplished everything for him, who gave him the power to do anything at all. He turns his entire existence over to Hashem and is filled with an awareness of G-ds compassion for him, and that there is really nothing but Hashem. This completes the beirur and subdues klippas nogah completely. The ascending cycles of expending effort and further bitul go on and on, upward. Of course, all of this is only true when a person is in a state of mochin dgadluswhere he sees the bigger picture and hasnt fallen into small-mindedness or stuckness in a dark situation. When that happens, when he falls into mochin dkatnus, then he hasnt got energy or mental space for much of anything in Divine service. The only thing he can really do then is awaken the mochin of Chochmah a little bitto just pay attention to the fact that Hashems light and vitality is everywhere. The light of Chochmah can then re-awaken his mochin of Binah so that he will have some energy to make a degree of effort. [This helps us to understand the concept of the sefiros as

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manifest every week. While in mochin dgadlus, Binah comes before Chochmah; while in mochin dkatnus, Chochmah comes before Binah.] A person must keep track of his upward motion of Binah to Chochmah, on and on; over the course of years and even every day, he should take accounting of whether his expenditure of effort in avodas Hashem has grown. If he sees that it hasnt, it is a sign that he hasnt sanctified himself enough. [Note: The degree to which a person works to sanctify himself through that which is permittedi.e. nogahmakes a huge impact on his capacity to expend effort in avodas Hashem. If the latter is weak, the former will be too.] While it is true that the body tends to drag a person down, the empowered G-dly soul can also expend great force to pull the body up. The work of clarifying nogah goes on twenty-four hours a day, but when a person devotes himself to it he finds that the body slowly gets more refined until it is really a wondrous vessel for the service of Hashem. There are infinite levels of possible growth in this area. Now we can better grasp the meaning of the Zohar, that the nefesh cannot ascend until the body is finished decomposing. This is only true when the body acted as an obstacle and prevented the light of the soul from shining. For this, the body requires chibut hakever, heaven forbid, which is the purification of the body by way of very harsh suffering. What decomposition accomplishes is a wearing away of the density of the body; but how fortunate is the person who merits to live bonded to the Divine light, to be a vehicle for G-dliness in this world. Then chibut hakever is unnecessary, and the entire matter causes pain to the Holy One, since He does not want to see any Jew suffer. The Arizal taught that when a Jew focuses on making his body a vehicle for the Shechinah, he can be transformed into the holiness of an angel so that G-ds light can illuminate his body here in this world. This is the good sign of dying on erev Shabbosliving in this world attached to the light of bitul.

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

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