Parshas Shemos[1]

1^st Mamar “Vieileh Shemos Bnei Yisrael…”

1. Veileh Shemos Bnei Yisrael Habaim Mitzrayma:[2]
2. The purpose of the final exile is to receive the inner dimensions of the Torah:

It states in scripture, “like the days that you left Egypt I will show you wonders.” This comes to juxtapose the final redemption to the redemption from Egypt and teach us that they are similar in nature. Their similarity is regarding their purpose, as just as the Egyptian exile was in order to receive the Torah so too the current exile is to receive the Torah. The explanation is as follows: The main purpose of the Egyptian exile and the 210 years of slavery was in order to merit to receive the Torah from G-d face-to-face. The slavery and exile had the ability to make the Jewish people refined enough to be able to receive it and fulfill it. However, the Torah which we received on a revealed level by Mount Sinai was only the revealed aspects of the Torah, known as Nigla. However, the inner dimensions of the Torah remain concealed and will only be given to us in a revealed way in the future era. It is for this reason that we experience the final lengthy exile as a refinement to make us able to merit to receive the revelation of the inner dimensions of the Torah.

 

1. The toiling in Torah study is necessary to merit receiving the inner dimensions of the Torah:

Just as during the Egyptian exile it was required for us to perform laborious activity in order to merit the receiving of the revealed aspect of the Torah on Mount Sinai, so too, in the current exile it is required for us to perform laborious activity in order to merit the receiving of the inner dimensions of the Torah. Now, the laborious activity performed in the Egyptian exile involved the making and building of physical mortars and bricks, which in Hebrew is called Chomer Uliveinim. The laborious work of Chomer Uliveinim is not just limited to physical labor with mortars and bricks but exists also on a spiritual level and involves the toil of Torah study, as Chomer refers to Kal Vachomer, and Liveinim refers to Libun Hilchasa, the refinement and research of Jewish law. During the current exile we need to be involved in the laborious activity of Chomer Uliveinim on its spiritual level in order to merit the revelation of the inner dimensions of the Torah. We must toil in Torah study in order to refine us to be able to receive the inner dimensions of the Torah. In fact, all of the laborious activities performed in Egypt have a correspondence in the toil of Torah study. The verse states “and they made their life bitter with hard work with Chomer Uliveinim and with all the work of the field.” Life here refers also to Torah study which is our life, hard work refers to questions of the Talmud, Chomer Uliveinim refer to Kal Vachomer and Libun Hilchasa, the work in the field refers to the Braisos.

What is the laborious activity involved in Torah study: There is no law in Jewish law that is clear, as all laws of the Torah involve disputes with some opinions being lenient and some being stringent. Some saying it is kosher or pure and some saying it is Pasul or impure. It is our job to labor through the questions and opinions and proofs to come to a final conclusion. This is indeed a laborious mental exercise.

• The divine lesson: In the current yeshiva system of Torah study, most of the hours are dedicated towards study of Talmud. One may rightfully question as to why we spend our time studying Talmudic literature from which it is difficult to glean practical Torah law and why instead we do not spend most of the time studying summarized practical Jewish law, such as from the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch. Why is there a need to study the intellectually challenging analytical analysis of the Talmud when the conclusions have already been sifted for us in various works such as those stated above? Perhaps this can be understood based on the above teaching. Hashem does not just desire for one to know the halachic conclusions that derive from Talmudic study for which it would suffice to simply study the code of Jewish laws, but also desires for us to toil through it to understand it through all of the questions and proofs and debates. The intellectual and mental toiling that we do within our Torah study is specifically what refines us to be able to then receive the inner dimensions of the Torah in the future era. Accordingly, one should never be dissuade from the difficulty involved in Torah study as this is exactly the purpose of today’s exile. Knowing this information will help one be motivated to sift through even the most difficult of materials until he comes to clear conclusions. At the same time, from the above teaching it is understood that it does not suffice to simply study the Talmud and one must bring down the information to the practical world of action, to the final ruling in Jewish law, which corresponds to Libun Hilchasa.

1. The double descent into exile:

Based on the above teachings we can understand the following anomaly in Scripture. First, the start of Parshas Shemos repeats that which was already mentioned in Parshas Vayigash regarding the descent of the 70 souls of the house of Yaakov into Egypt. Why is it necessary to repeat this information? Second, we find in Scripture that the term used for the descent into exile is a redundant term of “Yarod Yaradnu” which is a double descent. Likewise, regarding the redemption from Egypt it uses a redundant term of “Alo Naleh” which is a double ascent. The explanation is as follows: As stated above, there exists two exiles which the Jewish people, the children of Jacob need to go through. The first was in Egypt and the second is during the current exile which precedes the final redemption. This is hinted to in the redundancies above which mention a double descent and a double ascent and mention the Jewish people entering Egypt twice, as it refers to both the Egyptian exile and redemption, as well as the final exile and redemption.

1. The purpose of the descent of the soul to this world:

The main purpose of the descent of the soul to this world is for the sake of an ascent. What is this ascent? For the soul to eventually merit to see the pleasantness of G-d in the world to come, in the higher and lower garden of Eden. In these locations, the soul merits to comprehend the G-dly ray which gives it much pleasure. This pleasure is of such magnitude that it has no bounds and is infinite from all sides.

1. The many levels of the garden of Eden:

In general, the holy books only mention two levels of the garden of Eden, the lower level and higher level. However, in truth, there are many infinite levels of the garden of Eden, as there exists an infinite amount of levels of pleasure within the divine Ray of G-d. It is for this reason that Scripture states that the righteous do not have rest in the world to come, as they are constantly going from one level to another. All of the suffering in purgatory is worthwhile for the sake of simply being able to bask in this G-dliness.

1. Avraham chose exile rather than the suffering of purgatory:

The sages state that Avraham was given the choice to choose for his children either the punishment of servitude in exile or the suffering of purgatory. In the end, Avraham chose exile versus purgatory. Now, the entire purpose of purgatory is not as a punishment to teach one a lesson, or as vengeance and revenge from G-d, but rather is done in order to refine the soul from its illness of evil that became attached to it during its lifetime of sin. This is similar to the refining of silver in which the waste product of the silver is burned within the refinery and only the actual pure silver remains. So too, the fire of purgatory serves as a refinery for the soul, or a washing machine, which removes all of its impurities and stains so it can then receive from the pleasure of the divine ray of G-d. Now, Avraham chose the refinery of exile versus the refinery of purgatory, as also the exile has ability to refine the soul from its impurities.

• The divine lesson: Life is full of ups and downs and contains both real and mental challenges. We can use the above teaching to lessen the burden of the challenge and the pain that is incurred to us due to it by understanding that it is actually there to refine our souls so they are more of a conduit and receptacle to receive from G-d. Indeed, the suffering we go through this world subtracts the amount of refinement that our souls will need to go through in purgatory in order to enter the garden of Eden, and a little bit of suffering in this world corresponds to much suffering in the next world.

1. To access G-dliness, it must be invested in Torah:

The soul is a creation and by such it is limited. It is therefore unable to receive a ray of pleasure of G-dliness unless the pleasure is invested within a vessel that it can relate to. This vessel is the vessel of Torah. This is hinted to in Scripture which says “Oteh Or Kasalma, and he garbs light like a garment.” The light is the light of G-dliness which is invested in the garment of Torah.

1. Understanding how the garden of Eden gets its divine radiation:

It states in Scripture that a river comes out from Eden and irrigates the garden. Eden is the source of all pleasure while the river that comes out from Eden is the channel of G-dly energy that fills the garden of Eden. The garden of Eden, Gan, spells out 53, which corresponds to the 53 Sedarim [i.e. Parshiyos] of Torah as Torah derives from the divine wisdom. Now, Chochma wisdom is referred to as Koach Mah which represents Bittul, nullification, and G-d only resides in an area that is nullified to Him. It is for this reason that through Torah study the soul is able to comprehend G-d’s great name, as all of the Torah are the names of G-d.

1. A child mainly derives from the female seed:

Our sages state that a woman is responsible for all of the red components of a child, such as the flesh. It is thus found that the main conception of a child is from the drop of the female. The purpose of the male drop of seed is only to refine the female drop so that the child be born from the best and choicest part of the egg. Although her egg is already refined, it must go through a second refinement in order to create a child. The initial creation of the egg of a woman is through all the foods that she eats. Now, these foods are refined through the digestive track prior to them being transformed into blood of the liver, and from there it travels to the heart and from there to the brain, all the while going through refinement and modification. It is only then that this refined blood in the brain creates the egg. It is thus found that the initial creation of the egg is only after it goes through a great refinement. Nonetheless, even after this refinement it cannot serve as a source to create a child who goes through a further and second refinement that takes place through the seed of the male.

1. The egg of a woman derives from her brain:^[3]

As stated above, the reproduction drop [i.e. egg] of a woman derives from the brain. The order is as follows; the drop is developed from the food she eats, which in turn, then turns into blood in the liver and enters the heart. From the heart it goes to the brain, and from the brain is drawn the seeding of the drop.

1. Mishnayos, Braisos, & Halachos correspond to Queens, concubines, and virgins:

Our sages state that the 60 queens refer to the 60 tractates of the Mishnah, while the 80 concubines refer to the Braisos, and the vergins refer to the infinite detailed laws. The reason for this comparison is as follows:

Mishnayos: The Mishnayos are called Malchuyos being that a queen is the main person responsible for the continuity of the monarchy, in bringing a new prince into the world. Likewise, The Mishnayos are responsible for determining the final Jewish law. Just as for conception to occur the egg of the woman must go through many refinements so it be able to create a child, so too the Mishnah refines Jewish law to a final and practical application. It differentiates between that which is pure versus that which is impure and that which is kosher versus that which is forbidden. Furthermore, it is similar to the refinement that takes place for pregnancy to occur being that all those matters which are deemed kosher are able to be elevated and refined through a Jew eating them for service of G-d. This is in contrast to forbidden foods which cannot be refined, as will be explained below. The reason that the Mishnah has this power of refining Jewish law is because it was written by the Tanaim who were the epitome of Bittul, and were a conduit for the divine wisdom to flow through them, as will be explained below.

Braisos: The Braisos are called Pilagshim, concubines. The reason for this is because just as a concubine is not always found with the king and is only with him on occasion and in a discreet manner, so too, not all Braisas are accurate and carry the true refinement of Jewish law. This is because the ray of divine wisdom Chochmah Ilah, only at times rests on the Braisa. In fact, our sages teach us that only the Braisos of Rav Chiyah and Rav Oshiyah can be relied upon while all of the other Braisos which were not taught by them are not necessarily accurate, as it is not certain that they represent final Jewish law. They follow a similar status to the 3000 laws that were forgotten during the mourning of Moshe.

The laws that are brought in these Braisos are not fully reliable as they did not yet receive the drop of supernal Chochmah to refine it. These laws are rooted in the world of Beriya and not in the world of Atzilus, which is the level that receives from the supernal wisdom.

Halachos: Alamos are virgins and refer to the rulings of the Amoraim in the Talmud which are on the level of Beriyah and have no power against each other, as they have not received from the supernal wisdom of Chochmah. It is therefore not possible to question the opinion of one Amora based on the opinion of another Amora, as their teachings are not considered to have the final refinement of the supernal wisdom which formats Jewish law. They are similar to virgins which have never received from a male, so too these laws have never received from the drop of supernal wisdom. This then is the job of those who study Talmud, to draw down the ray of supernal wisdom to the teachings of the Talmud through sifting through the opinions and refining the subject until one comes to a final conclusion. This itself is accomplished through questions and answers, and proofs and rebuttals, until one comes to a final clarification. This is the laborious activity demanded of us today during the final exile in order to merit the final redemption, and corresponds to the laborious activity of mortars and bricks that were performed during the Egyptian exile.

 

1. One who ate forbidden foods for the sake of serving G-d:

All foods which are prohibited for a Jew to eat do not have any elevation or rectification even if a Jew eats them with intent to serve G-d, and actually does so with the energy that he received from the food, such as if he studied Torah and prayed with much concentration as a result of the forbidden meal. Nonetheless, the energy of the food does not become elevated. This is the root meaning behind the word Assur, which literally means bound or tied, as the divine energy found in forbidden food is incarcerated within it and cannot be freed even through using it for divine service.

1. The greatness of the Tanaim – Bittul:

The Tanaim authored the Mishnah which is a compilation of their teachings. The reason that they had the power of refining and contrasting Jewish law from the prohibited to the permitted, is because they receive from the divine level of Chochmah. The word Tanaim can be reformed to read the word Eisanim which means strength and refers to the strength of wisdom. In practical terms, this means that they received the tradition of the Torah from Moses, and from the leaders of each generation thereon, and Moshe had received it from the level of Chochma. The vast majority of the rulings of the Tanaim are not the result of their intellectual comprehension but rather are rulings and arbitrations that they received in tradition from one teacher to another all the way back to Moses. An example of this can be found in the Talmud which states regarding Rabbi Eliezer that 12 teachings he had heard from his teacher while 18 he had not heard from his teacher. This is likewise found regarding Akavya Ben Mihalalel who stated he had heard his teachings from the majority. All this emphasizes the idea that they were in the state of nullification and were simply a conduit to hand over the tradition from one generation to the next. This allowed them to be a proper receptacle for the level of Moshe which is the aspect of divine wisdom. It is for this reason that the teachings that the Tanaim stated in the Mishneh are absolute G-dliness.

• The divine lesson: Some may be mistaken to think that there greatness in Torah study is expressed specifically when they can come up with ideas and teachings that are novel and were never thought of before. In truth, true Torah study is expressed when one learns with a true nullification and admiration to one’s predecessors, the Torah scholars of old, and desires to carry on their teachings and build off of them. Becoming an expert in the teachings of Torah of previous scholars is the greatest accomplishment of all and guarantees that one’s Torah novelties are true with the drop of supernal wisdom, and are not the independent thinking of one’s intellectual mind that is separate from G-d.

1. The gathering of the exiles will occur in merit of the study of Mishnayos:

Our sages teach us that the exiles will only be gathered in merit of the study of the Mishnayos. The reason for this is because both are presented the concept of refinement and contrast. The Mishneh contains the refined laws of Judaism, and the contrast between the pure and impure. In merit of learning this refined level of Torah, we will merit to have the Jewish people refined from amongst the Gentile nations having the contrast between Jew and Gentile.

• The divine lesson: Our Rabbeim taught us the importance of learning Mishnayos by heart. This is due to the great and vast effect that Mishnayos has in ushering in the future redemption as the content of the Mishneh is refinement of Jewish law, which can refine the Jewish people from the exile.

1. The purpose of the Torah is to fix the name of G-d:

It states in the Zohar that the purpose of the entire Torah and all of its commands is to fix the mystical name of G-d. The explanation is as follows: There exists seven names which cannot be erased. The reason for this is because each one of the seven names contain the infinite light of G-d within them. Now, what draws down this infinite Divine light into the names? The study of Torah and fulfillment of Mitzvahs. Every Mitzvah has the unique capability of drawing down the infinite light of G-d into one aspect of the seven divine names. This then is the meaning of the Zoharic statement that the purpose of the Torah is to fix the name of G-d, as its purpose is to draw G-dliness into the names of G-d.

1. Each tribe represents a different month and combination of Hashems name:

The 12 tribes correspond to the 12 different combinations of the divine name Yud Kei Vav Kei. Each month a different one of these combination shines during that month and it is hence found that each month has its unique tribe and divine revelation that it corelates to.

[1] Torah Or pp. 49a-55a

[2] Torah Or pp. 49a-55a

[3] Torah Or Shemos 1^st Ma’amar p. 97; Eitz Chaim Shaar 39

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