English translation — מאמר לה"ע פסח שני תשל"ח

With the help of Heaven*.

Motzaei Shabbat Kodesh Parshat Emor,

13 Iyar*

*,

Night of 14 Iyar,

Pesach Sheni,

5738

To understand the concept of Pesach Sheni,

and the Tzemach Tzedek explains in his maamar beginning with the words "Zeh"1,

that the concept of Pesach Sheni will be understood based on three introductions.

The first introduction is the difference between the first month

(Nissan)

and the second month

(Iyar)

in the service of man.

For in the month of Nissan,

whose focal point is the Exodus from Egypt,

it is the service of "turn away from evil,"

meaning that evil is in its full strength and the service is to turn away from evil,

to go out and flee from evil,

itkafya2.

And the service of the month of Iyar

[whose unique aspect, by which it is distinguished from the other months, is that on each of its days there is a specific mitzvah

(of Sefiras HaOmer)3]

is the service of Sefiras HaOmer,

whose concept is4

the refinement of the midos and their transformation to holiness,

it'hapcha.

And this is what is said5

"On the first of the second month... of their going out from the land of Egypt,"

that the first service of the Exodus,

the first month,

is itkafya of the sitra achara,

and afterwards comes the service of it'hapcha,

the second service of the Exodus,

the second month6.

And the second introduction is the distinction between these two months regarding the Sefiros.

For the first month is in Malchus,

the first Sefirah from below upward,

and the second month is in Yesod,

the second Sefirah7.

And it is explained in the maamar,

that these two introductions

[their concept of Nissan and Iyar in the service of man,

and their concept in the Sefiros]

are related to each other,

as explained in Torah Ohr, the maamar beginning "And behold we were binding sheaves"8

that the refinement through the tribes

(who were a chariot for the aspect of Malchus),

the first refinement,

is only the nullification of the yesh

(analogous to itkafya9),

and the refinement through Yosef HaTzaddik,

the aspect of Yesod,

the second refinement,

is that it be included in Elokus,

nullification in actual existence

(analogous to it'hapcha9).

And the third introduction is,

that the concept of Pesach,

Pesach from the term skipping and jumping10,

is a most lofty drawing down that cannot come through the order of hishtalshelus and only by way of a leap,

as explained in Likkutei Torah11.

And it is explained in the maamar,

that from this it is understood,

that also the concept of Pesach Sheni12

is a leap,

a drawing down that is above hishtalshelus.

And the difference between the first Pesach and Pesach Sheni is in the place and the concept in which this drawing down is drawn.

For by the first Pesach it is written13

"And Pesach to Hashem on the entrance,"

that the drawing down by way of a leap

(and Pesach)

was at the entrance,

the Sefirah of Malchus14,

and in the soul of man – in yirah tata'ah

("This is the gate to Hashem"15)

which is the root of "turn away from evil"16,

and the drawing down by way of a leap that is in Pesach Sheni is in the Sefirah of Yesod,

whose concept in the soul of man is connection and love17,

through which his midos are transformed to holiness,

it'hapcha.

2)

And one may add,

that the superiority of Pesach Sheni relative to Pesach Rishon is not only that the leap of Pesach Sheni is drawn from a more elevated place,

but also that the leap itself is a more elevated leap.

And this is also understood from the fact that it is called "Pesach Sheni,"

for the simple explanation of "Pesach Sheni" is not

(only)

that the Pesach

(the leap)

is drawn in the level of "second," but rather that

(also)

the Pesach

(the leap)

is "second,"

a leap more elevated than the leap of Pesach Rishon.

And what is stated in the maamar, that the explanation of "Pesach Sheni" is that the leap of Pesach Sheni is drawn in the level of "second"

(Yesod),

is

because the superiority of the leap of Pesach Sheni

(that the leap is more elevated)

is seen

(also)

in that the leap is drawn in the level of "second"

(as will be explained in section 5).

And based on this, one can connect the above explanation

(of the Tzemach Tzedek)

that Pesach Sheni is a second and elevated level in the service that comes after the preparatory service of Pesach Rishon,

with the concept of Pesach Sheni as it is simply understood,

that it is a correction and completion for one who did not offer the Pesach,

because the fact that Pesach Sheni corrects and completes the lack of the one who did not offer the Pesach is because the revelation of Pesach Sheni is a leap that is not according to order,

which has no measurements or limitations,

not even the measurements and limitations of the leap of Pesach

(Rishon),

and regarding this revelation – "nothing is lost."

3)

And this will be understood by prefacing the known concept

that among the distinctions between Zeir Anpin and Malchut is,

that Malchut is the upper edge

(source)

of BY"A,

and Zeir Anpin is the lower edge of Atzilut.

And since in Atzilut "evil shall not sojourn,"

it is understood that this, that through Yesod

(Zeir Anpin)

the completion of the refinement is accomplished,

the matter of transformation,

is as it is drawn to refine,

and the primary service from the aspect of Zeir Anpin is

(not the matter of refinements,

but rather)

to draw down light.

And as it is regarding the Sefirah of Yesod

(its concept being the second month among the Sefirot),

so too is it regarding the service of Sefirat HaOmer

(its concept being the second month in the service of man),

that its primary matter

(according to one explanation)

is not the refinement of the attributes of the animal soul, but rather the drawing down of the 49 Gates of Binah,

until that through this the Fiftieth Gate is also drawn.

And it can be said,

that this is also what [the fact that] Iyar is an acronym for Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Rachel,

who are the four legs of the Merkavah,

that the self-nullification of the Merkavah is in a manner that from the outset there is no place for the matter of yeshut (selfhood), and certainly not for evil that requires one to effect its nullification,

as explained in Tanya

regarding the matter that the Avot are the Merkavah,

that they did not become a Merkavah except for the supernal will alone, all their days.

4)

And from all this it is understood,

that in the month of Iyar,

the second month,

there are two matters.

The service of transformation,

the ultimate perfection of "turn from evil"30,

and the service of "they go from strength to strength"31

in holiness itself,

and "do good"32.

And it can be said,

that this is why the census of the Children of Israel in the second month of the second year of their exodus from the land of Egypt was through Moshe and Aharon33,

for the matter of "turn from evil"

(which is in the second month)

is related to Aharon, whose aspect is loving peace and pursuing peace etc.34,

for the matter of peace is to negate dispute and division,

and the matter of "and do good"

(which is in the month of Iyar)

is related to Moshe, whose aspect is Torah35,

for from the outset there is no place in it for an opposite matter, G-d forbid36,

and this is also what is said37

"and she saw him that he was good," that as soon as he was born the entire house was filled with light38.

And it can be said,

that this is why the exodus from Egypt was through Aharon and Moshe39,

even though the service of the exodus from Egypt is "turn from evil,"

and in "turn from evil" itself, in the manner of subjugation,

it is,

because even the service of subjugation must be in a way that brings not only to transformation,

but also to the service in the line of "do good" which is above the matter of refinements.

And it can be said that it is like what is explained in Tanya40

that even those whose primary service is "do not be wicked"41,

must strive to fulfill the oath41

"be righteous,"

both regarding abhorring evil

(the matter of transformation)

and regarding delighting and rejoicing in G-d through contemplation of the greatness of the Ein Sof, blessed is He,

(the service of holiness that is above the matter of refinements).

5)

And behold, similarly on the other side,

that even when one is in the service of the month of Iyar

(the service of transformation,

and higher still, the service of the chariot)

there must be an impression from the vitality and arousal of the service of subjugation,

therefore we mention42

the exodus from Egypt even in the days of Moshiach43.

And the matter is,

that when evil is at its peak,

the fear of evil causes flight from it in a manner of haste44.

And through the haste of Israel, there is also a haste of the Shechinah45,

so to speak,

"leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills"46.

For haste brings about a leap that is above order and gradation.

However, the service of transformation after one has already left evil,

and certainly the service of "do good,"

is in order and gradation.

Therefore, one must draw into it the aspect of the leap of the exodus from Egypt.

And this is the matter of Pesach Sheni,

the drawing of the leap into the service of "do good,"

the service of the second month.

That after the leap that was in the service of "turn from evil"

(Pesach Rishon),

the leap is drawn also into the service of "do good"

(Pesach Sheni).

And it is like what is said47

"Draw me, we will run after You,"

that by the G-dly soul causing the animal soul to have love of G-d,

that the love of the animal soul is in a manner of running,

through this, running is also brought about in the G-dly soul48,

"we will run" in the plural49.

But,

after the leap is drawn into the service of "do good,"

this leap is more elevated than the leap of Pesach.

For it is due to fear of evil

(a matter in itself),

but the leap in Torah and mitzvos

(the service of "do good")

is because they are the wisdom and will of the Holy One, blessed is He,

with true infinity.

Therefore,

after the infinity within them is revealed through the leap of "turn from evil,"

the leap

(the matter of infinity that is above gradation)

of the service of "do good" is a greater leap50.

And based on this, the saying of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, will also be understood,

that Pesach Sheni relates to the second soul,

for the advantage of the leap of Pesach Sheni over the leap of Pesach Rishon is,

that the leap of Pesach Rishon is from the side of the concealment and hiding of the Nefesh HaBahamis

(the first soul),

and the leap of Pesach Sheni is that the "blah" (the 33) of the second soul is revealed, which is a part of Elokah from above literally.

That even when it is clothed in the body,

it is a part of Elokah from above literally, from the term "touch."

6)

And perhaps one may add,

that the advantage of the leap of Pesach Sheni over the leap of Pesach Rishon is beyond comparison,

to the extent that it is a leap even relative to the leap of Pesach

(Rishon).

And analogous to what is said,

"As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders,"

that the revelations of the future redemption will be wonders even relative to the wonders that were in the Exodus from Egypt.

And the explanation of the matter

(the connection of Pesach Sheni to the future redemption)

in more detail,

is that it is stated in the Midrash,

that the redemption from Egypt

[and likewise the redemption from the Babylonian exile and the other redemptions until the future redemption]

is analogous to the light of a candle,

and the future redemption is like the light of the sun, which is not extinguished.

And it is explained in Chassidus,

that this—that the redemption from Egypt was compared to the light of a candle—

is,

that a candle is the aspect of Malchus,

and the revelation that was in the redemption from Egypt,

even though it was a revelation above the chain of descent,

was in a garment within the aspect of Malchus,

as it is written, "And Pesach (the passing over) of Hashem upon the opening,"

for "opening" is Malchus

(as above, section 1).

And from this it is understood,

that this—that the future redemption is compared to the light of the sun—is because the revelation of that which is above the chain of descent that will be then will be in the aspect of Z'eir Anpin.

And this is the connection of Pesach Sheni to the future redemption,

for the revelation of Pesach Sheni is in Yesod of Z'eir Anpin,

as above.

7)

And may it be His will,

that our deeds and our service,

and particularly in the matters related to Pesach Sheni,

will bring closer and hasten even more the future redemption,

that also the future redemption will be in a manner of a leap,

as it is stated in the Midrash,

"The voice of my Beloved... leaping upon the mountains"—this is King Moshiach,

and moreover,

in the future redemption there will be a greater leap

(analogous to

(but above)

the leap of Pesach Sheni, which is a greater leap than the leap of Pesach Rishon),

that it will not be in order and gradation from level to level at all,

as the verse states,

"Immediately they are redeemed,"

with the coming of Moshiach our righteousness,

may he come and redeem us and lead us upright to our land,

speedily in our days, literally.