Parshas Teruma[1]

1^st Mamar “Mi Yitencha Ke’ach Li …”

1. Mi Yitencha Ke’ach Li:[2]

See Volume 1 of our Chassidishe Parsha Torah Or Series under Parshas Teruma where we covered the following matters of this Mamar in detail:

1. Being Brothers to Hashem
2. The Keruvim
3. The meaning of the “face of man”
4. The contractions performed by the Keruvim
5. Elevating the heartfelt prayers of the Jewish people
6. The wings of the Keruvim
7. The level of brother during exile
8. The working Jew can also be a “Brother”

1. Purpose of prayer is attachment – The term Tefila derives from the word Hatofel Keli Cheres:

The word Tefila is related to the word Hatofel Keli Cheres, which refers to one who attaches an item to a vessel. It also relates to the word “Niftol Niftalti/I have become bound.” The correlation between the words is that the entire purpose of prayer is for one to attach his soul to G-d to the point that he becomes a single unit with Him. Thus, the purpose of Tefila is for one to arouse feelings of being attached to G-d.

1. How even today Shabbos is considered the seventh day:

Both in scripture as well as in the language of the world, Shabbos is referred to as the seventh  day. This is a bit strange, as although indeed the original first Shabbos was the seventh day of creation, many days have passed since then and today’s Shabbos is not the seventh day from creation. Rather, the explanation is that number 7^th does not refer to the seventh day from creation but rather to the seventh day from the previous six days of the week that followed it. You see, each one of the six days of creation correspond to a different one of the six supernal characters and attributes of the world of Atzilus. For example, on the first day the light of kindness shined and on the second day the light of Gevura shined, and so on and so forth for each of the six days of creation. On the seventh day, G-d rested which means that all of the days and their corresponding attributes became elevated to the root and source above. This concept continues to apply weekly, in every single week after creation and hence it is found that even today the seven days of the week mirror the revelations and attributes of the original seven days of the week at the time of creation. Accordingly, it is understood why we call Shabbos the seventh day even today as even today all of the attributes that shine on each day of the week are elevated above on Shabbos.

1. Shabbos elevates the sparks that were refined during the six days of the week:

Throughout the six days of the week the six emotional attributes of the world of Atzilus descend below in order to refine the sparks that are found in the worlds of Biyah [i.e. Beriya, Yetzira, Assiya]. On Shabbos, these sparks are than elevated above together with the elevations of the lower worlds.

1. Likras Kalah corresponds to the Shabbos elevation:

In the famous hymn of Lecha Dodi we mention the words Likras Kalah, which literally means “coming towards the bride.” In truth, however, this is referring to something totally different. The term Kalah in this hymn is corresponding to the word Vayechulu found in the verse of Vayechulu Hashamayim that is written in Scripture and read on Shabbos before Kiddush. This word is rooted in the word ceasing or finishing, and refers to the elevation to a higher level above, such as we find in the term Kalsa Nafshi, my soul yearns to be elevated and expire. The reason that this is mentioned on Shabbos is because Shabbos is the day that is dedicated and designated for the soul and all of the spiritual worlds to become elevated above.

1. Koneh Shamayim Va’aretz – Hashem bought Shabbos:

Our sages state that there are five products that G-d has bought and acquired and one of them is the Shabbos. This concept is likewise mentioned in the blessing of Meiyn Sheva in which we conclude with the words “Koneh Shamayim Va’aretz.” What does this mean and how does Hashem acquire something when everything is already His? The explanation is as follows: When one purchases something he moves the item from the possession of one person and brings it to his own possession. This is what happens on Shabbos; Hashem moves all of the lower spiritual worlds including all of their sparks of divinity higher up to his possession, to His world of Atzilus.

1. The advantage of the prayer of the businessman:

[People tend to mistakenly think that the service of prayer with great feeling of love and passion is only relevant to select Torah scholars and Tzadikim, rabbis and people of the clergy, who spend their day in study of Torah and service of G-d. However, a businessman who works on Wall Street, what to him and to the service of prayer? It’s like wearing a tie to bed over one’s pajamas. In this teaching, the Alter Rebbe comes to negate this grave error of perspective and explains that not only must the businessman also toil in the service of prayer, but on the contrary there is special advantage when he does so over the prayer of the individual who is not involved in the world and dedicates all of his time to spiritual matters.] In general, the advantage of the businessman is that when he deals with the matters of the world to make an income to support his family, he ends up coming across many divine sparks that are found embedded within the physical items of his dealings. Accordingly, it is of even greater importance and necessity for the businessman to invest in his service of prayer and bring himself to a passionate love for G-d, as through doing so, he elevates all of his business to the one G-d and accomplishes a unity of Hashem with His world that cannot be accomplished by the Torah learner. Furthermore, being that he is involved in elevating the sparks, he is able to reach a state of Dveikus to Hashem that is much higher and intense than the Torah learner, being that his prayer comes through the service of Iskafya which elicits a much higher and greater revelation of G-dliness onto his heart. The service of prayer of the businessman contains the advantage of light over darkness, which shines much more than light within light which is synonymous to the prayer of the Torah learner. The businessman can reach the state of Dveikus of Neshikin, kissing G-d during his prayer. It is for this reason that a Jew who is a businessman and supports Torah learners precedes the Torah learner himself, just as Zevulun comes before Yissachar, as his divine service can reach higher than that of the Torah learner.

1. The love that is expressed in a kiss on the lips:

Kissing on the lips is one of the highest and greatest expressions of love between a husband and wife, and likewise in the service of G-d, the level of attachment to G-d referred to as Neshikin, or kissing, is the highest of levels that one can reach. The reason that kissing on the lips represents such powerful emotions of love is because it comes as a result of an inability to express the love in words due to the explosion of emotion. The emotion of love that one is feeling is too strong and intense to fit into the limitations of letters of speech, and can only be expressed through a kiss and specifically through kissing on the lips. Why? As through kissing on the lips one shares his breath with the breath of the other person and breath is the source of all the words of speech. This is referred to as an attachment of the soul, Isdavkusa Rucha Berucha.

1. Also the businessman must set times for Torah study:

Although, as we stated above, the businessman’s main duty and service of G-d is in elevation of the sparks found in the physical matters of the world through his uniquely passionate service of prayer, and through performing Iskafya and distributing charity, nonetheless he too must set aside time for studying Torah. The reason for this is because all G-dliness must follow a certain order when being drawn down, which is the order of thought, speech, and action. The aspect of thought and speech is accomplished through the study of Torah. Furthermore, the main revelation and experience of the supernal kiss, Neshikin, is specifically during these set times of Torah study. It is for this reason that the set times of Torah learning of the businessman is higher than that of the Torah learner, as it incorporates within it his work of Iskafya, and is similar to fermented wine which has a strong and tangy smell and is much better in quality than regular grape juice. Next we will explain how smell is higher than food and the spiritual worlds.

1. Smelling is higher than eating:

Smell comes from a very high root above, deriving from the level of Makif, and is even higher than the spiritual root of food above in heaven. The reason for this is because food can only satiate the body and not the soul, however, regarding smell our sages state that the soul benefits from smell and not the body. This is due to the fact that smell comes from the most supernal form of pleasure which cannot be grasped or invested within vessels.

1. Even the sinners of Israel are filled with Mitzvah’s like a pomegranate:

Our sages teach us that even the lowest and most empty of the Jewish people are filled with Mitzvah’s like a pomegranate. In truth, this term of lowest and empty does not refer to rebellious Jews who transgress the commands but rather to Jews who work so much to make an income that they are not able to establish any time for Torah study. Such Jews are compared to a pomegranate, as although they do not contain Torah they are filled with Mitzvah’s and Derech Eretz. They are like the pomegranate fruit which is tangy and is both sour and sweet at the same time. So too, their Mitzvah’s contain the tangy and sour taste of their worldly involvement and therefore is advantageous as it is able to arouse a very high revelation of pleasure above, just as tangy taste refreshes the soul. It is for this reason that the robe of the high priest had pomegranate sewed into its bottom, to express that even the pomegranate Jew who is empty of any Torah study can reach high levels of service of G-d.

2^nd Mamar “Biur Al Hanal”

2. Biur Al Hanal:[3]
3. Yosef and Binyamin, the higher and lower Tzaddik:

It states in scripture, “and all of the nation are Tzaddikim.” The term Tzaddikim is used in plural as it refers to the two different types of Tzaddik, Yosef the higher Tzaddik and Binyamin the lower Tzaddik, as some souls are from the level of Yosef and others of the level of Binyamin. Whatever the case, every soul is relevant to some level of Tzaddik. Now, what is the difference between the higher Tzaddik and lower Tzaddik? The job of the higher Tzaddik is from above to below to attach the world of Atzilus to the world of Beriya and draw down the revelations of the higher world into the lower world. The job of the lower Tzaddik is to do the same but in the contrary order, from below to above, to attach the world of Beriya to the world of Atzilus. These two different job descriptions of the higher and lower Tzaddik were present in the lives of Yosef and Binyamin. Yosef was the viceroy of Egypt and was in charge of feeding all of the people of the world during the famine. He represents the Divine service of a Mashpia, which is to give to those lower than him, to give from the higher spiritual world of Atzilus to the lower spiritual world of Beriya, in order to give room for the creation of independent beings. Binyamin however has the opposite job to take the independent beings that were already created as the result of the divine service of Yosef, and bring them back to their root in G-dliness. This is known as He’ala, or elevation. This was represented in Binyamin’s life, as his mother Rachel had difficulty birthing him to the point that she passed away. This is because he represents the return of life to its source, the entrance of the child back into the womb and not the revelation of life from its source, the birth of the child from the womb.

1. The two types of Mitzvah’s; Mitzvah’s of revelation and Mitzvah’s of elevation:

Just as there exist two different types of Tzadikim with two different job descriptions, so too, there exists two different types of Mitzvah’s which have two different effects and purposes. The purpose of some of the practical Mitzvah’s is to draw down divinity from above to below; Hamshacha. Included in these types of Mitzvah’s are the Mitzvah of Shofar, Lulav, Sukkah, Tzitzis and Tefillin. A second type of Mitzvah is a Mitzvah whose job is to elevate from below to above, Healah. Included in these types of Mitzvah’s are the Mitzvah’s of sacrifices and Reishis Hageiz.

1. The souls rooted in Yosef versus the souls rooted in Binyamin:

As stated above, all Jewish souls are connected either with the level and Divine service of Yosef or the level and Divine service of Binyamin. Those souls who are rooted in the level of Yosef are considered brothers of G-d and their main task is to draw G-dliness from above to below. This is mainly accomplished through the study of Torah in thought and speech which draws down divinity into the inner parts of the worlds. It however does not draw divinity to the external part of the world’s, and it is for this purpose that we need the service of the souls that are rooted in Binyamin. Souls that are rooted in Binyamin spend most of their day doing business and working with the world, after which they use their proceeds to give money to charity. Through doing so they end up drawing G-dliness also to the external parts of the world and into the lowest parts of this physical world. This itself is because the divine service of the souls which are rooted in Binyamin are able to elicit G-dliness below from the high level known as Akudim, which is much higher than the world of Atzilus, from which the souls rooted in Yosef draw G-dliness. This is accomplished as a result of the divine sparks that they elevate to above. This is the level of Neshikin, Divine kiss.

[1] Torah Or p. 79b-81b

[2] Torah Or p. 79b-80b

[3] Torah Or p. 80b-81a