English translation — מאמר ויאמר ה' אל אברם תשל"ח

B"S.

Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Lech Lecha – in his room – 5738

"And Hashem said to Avram, 'Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.'"

And it is known

that there are two interpretations of this.

The first interpretation is that the going

(of "go for yourself")

is from above to below.

And as explained in Torah Ohr,

that Avram is "Av Ram" (Lofty Father),

the intellect that is hidden from all thought

[which is above even the level of Chochmah.

For Chochmah

(even though it is the beginning of all internal powers)

is a level of revelation.

In contrast, "Av Ram" is the intellect hidden from all thought.

And as explained in the glosses and explanations of the Tzemach Tzedek on Torah Ohr there,

[detailing the levels within this].

And Hashem said to Avram, "Go for yourself from your land," etc., that his concealed light should go out into revelation and be drawn from above to below until "to the land,"

the level of Malchus.

And it adds, "which I will show you,"

and regarding this there are two interpretations.

One

(according to its simple meaning)

is that "I will show you" refers to the land,

the level of Malchus,

for Malchus is the level of the revealed world, therefore it says about it "which I will show you."

And the second interpretation is that "I will show you" refers to Avram

(the level of the intellect hidden from all thought)

— "I will see and reveal you to yourself,"

("in your essence and your selfhood").

And this means,

that even though the Sefirah of Malchus, the revealed world

(and especially as it is drawn down into Biyah)

is the very lowest extremity,

and the intellect hidden from all thought

(which is hidden even from the highest thought)

is the very highest extremity,

nevertheless,

through the descent and drawing down

(of Avram,

the intellect hidden from all thought)

to "the land which I will show you"

(according to the first interpretation),

to the level of Malchus, the revealed world

(the lowest extremity),

through this the true nature

(his essence and selfhood)

of Avram will be seen and revealed

(according to the second interpretation),

such that an elevation occurs

(also)

in the level of the intellect hidden from all thought

(the very highest extremity),

as is understood from what is explained in Torah Ohr there.

B)

And similarly, this applies to the matter of the soul's descent into the body,

that the elevation achieved in the soul through its descent below

[which is accomplished in the manner of a journey,

the concept of "go for yourself"],

is also in its most exalted levels,

and even in the level of Yechidah.

For even though it is called Yechidah because it "receives from the Singular One"

[and therefore

it is not possible for there to be something opposite it in the side of impurity,

"a reflection of a reflection they do not have"],

nevertheless,

through the soul descending below,

from a high roof to a deep pit,

an elevation is also effected in the level of Yechidah within it.

As explained in several discourses,

that specifically through the soul's service in its descent below, an elevation is effected

(an incomparable elevation)

also in the root and essence of the soul above.

And this is also understood from what is explained in several talks

(regarding the matter of an aliyah to the Torah),

that the elevation is in all five levels of the soul—Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, Yechidah—

which are the three levels, lower, middle, and upper,

of the Teivas Noach.

And according to what was stated above

(based on the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov

on the verse

"Come... into the ark"),

that the concept of the Teivas Noach is "instruction in the order of service"

for every single Jew

[and especially after the month of Tishrei, when the order of service of "and Yaakov went on his way" begins.

For even though he goes on his way

(also)

in matters of the permitted and in mundane activities,

and even to the level of "mighty waters," which are all the troubles of livelihood, etc.,

nevertheless, by inserting himself into the "words" (teivos) of prayer and Torah, not only is he "saved from the floodwaters,"

but moreover, through the waters the ark is lifted up,

and even to the point that "the ark came to rest"],

it is understood from this,

that the elevation of the soul effected through its descent below and its enclothing in the "mighty waters" is in all three levels

(of the Teivas Noach)

—lower, middle, and upper—

which in the human soul correspond to Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, Yechidah.

Analogous to what was explained above

(section 1),

that through the going and descent of Avram to the land, the level of Malchus,

the purpose

(of this descent)

being to bring about revelation in Biyah,

[and as is known,

that Avram's going to the land was in order to draw down into Biyah, even into this physical world,

through which he prepared the way for the drawing down through the performance of physical mitzvos after the giving of the Torah],

an elevation was also effected in the level of the intellect hidden from all thought.

3)

And the explanation of the second "Go for yourself etc. to the land" is

(according to the simple meaning of the verse30)

that this going is from below to above,

the going from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, which is

(according to the simple meaning of the verse)

the land etc. of Terach

[the opposite of the concept of purity31],

the lowest level,

and from there he will go and ascend from below to above until the land that I will show you, which refers

(as above in section 1)

to the aspect of Malchus,

and until the aspect of "And he built there an altar to Havayah who appeared to him"32

(which is above the aspect of Malchus),

and until "And he built there an altar to Havayah" simply33,

the aspect of the supernal Havayah,

the concealed Havayah,

which is above the Havayah

(of below)

that appeared34.

And likewise, this is also the case in the service of "And Yaakov went on his way" within each person after the month of Tishrei,

that this going is

(not only in a manner of from above to below,

that he goes on his way from the festivals of the month of Tishrei to his way in matters of the mundane and weekday activities throughout the entire year,

but rather)

also in a manner of from below to above,

beginning from the power of his action,

and in the power of action itself, as it is in his heel,

the lowest level in the human body

[and it is even a matter of the opposite of life35,

similar to what was brought above regarding Terach, who is the opposite of purity],

and from there his journey begins from below to above,

which also affects his heel that it should hear Elokus

[and as it is written regarding Avraham, "Because (eikev) Avraham listened to My voice"36,

that even his heel (eikev) heard37.

And because this was the case with Avraham Avinu,

the power for this was given to every Jew

(similar to the concealed love within every Jew, which is an inheritance for us from our forefathers38,

and specifically from Avraham Avinu39)],

and from this is drawn

(in a manner of a journey from below to above)

the hearing

(the hearing)

of Elokus in all the faculties,

until the intellectual faculty in the head,

so that there will be in them a hearing that is above measure and limitation of intellect.

And also this matter of "And Yaakov went on his way"

(a journey from below to above)

begins after the month of Tishrei.

For the service of Shemini Atzeres and Simchas Torah

(the conclusion of the festivals of the month of Tishrei)

is with

(joy and)

dancing,

that the concept of dancing is

(primarily and begins)

in the legs,

and in them specifically in the heel of them.

And by the heels being lifted up

(they lift themselves)

and dance,

they also lift up the head

(and the intellectual faculty within it)40,

so that it too dances with great joy above measure and limitation.

And from this is drawn the power for the service of "And Yaakov went on his way"

(a journey from below to above)

throughout the entire year,

beginning from the power of action as it is in the heel

[including the matters that a person tramples with his heels41,

meaning matters for which

(for whatever reason)

he has no vitality in them

(similar to the simple meaning of the heel, which is a matter of the opposite of life)],

and from this he draws

(in a manner of a journey from below to above)

also to the intellectual faculty in the head,

as above.

4)

And the two aforementioned explanations of "Go for yourself from your land etc." correspond to the two explanations of "On the other side of the river your forefathers dwelt"42.

The explanation

[in the inner dimension of Torah43]

that "the other side of the river" is the aspect that is above

(also)

the aspect of "And a river went out of Eden"44

(Binah of Atzilus)

and the explanation of "On the other side of the river your forefathers dwelt etc." is that the root of the forefathers is from the other side of the river, above Atzilus, and from there they were drawn downward

(on the other side of the river,

meaning)

into the Z'eir Anpin of Atzilus,

and until "And I led him throughout all the land of Canaan"45

the descent and drawing down into the aspect of Malchus

(as above in section 1, that the land of Israel refers to Malchus)

— the going from your land etc.,

which refers to the other side of the river,

to the land that I will show you,

is a journey from above to below46.

And the explanation

(as it is in the simple meaning)

that "the other side of the river" is the place of Terach,

and what is said "On the other side of the river your forefathers dwelt etc." is for disparagement

[as is proven from the words of our sages, of blessed memory47,

"He begins with disgrace etc. Initially our forefathers were idol worshippers etc., as it is said, 'On the other side of the river your forefathers dwelt etc.'"]

— the going from your land etc.

(the other side of the river)

to the land that I will show you,

is a journey and ascent from below to above48

(as above in section 3).

5)

And behold, although the two above explanations of "Lech Lecha" are two different and opposite explanations,

nevertheless,

since both explanations are in the same word

(the word Lech),

it is proven from this,

that the concept of "Lech Lecha"

[and the instruction to every Jew in this portion]

includes both modes together,

a movement from above to below and a movement from below to above.

And analogous to "And I will walk among you"

where "Vehithalachti"

(plural form)

includes

the two aspects of movement mentioned above.

And so too regarding the matter of "And I will lead you erect,"

where "Komemiyut"

(plural form)

indicates two levels

[the level of direct light and the level of reflected light,

which are analogous to the two aspects of movement mentioned above],

the intention in this is that "Komemiyut" includes both levels together.

And one can connect this with this year

(in particular),

which is a leap year,

and moreover it is the leap year of the completion of a small cycle,

in which the alignment of the solar year with the lunar year is made

(in perfect completeness).

For the sun is an aspect of bestower – analogous to the concept of movement from above to below,

and the moon

(which has nothing of its own)

is an aspect of receiver – analogous to the concept of movement from below to above.

And the concept of the leap year

(and particularly the leap year of the completion of a small cycle)

is the combination and connection of the two services

[the service of the sun

(aspect of bestower,

movement from above to below,

which in general is

the service of the righteous),

and the service of the moon

(aspect of receiver,

movement from below to above,

which in general is

the service of the penitents)],

that they become one matter

(a complete year),

as explained above

at length.

And as it is written,

"And our eyes will shine like the sun and the moon,"

the intention in this is

[not only that there will be the two virtues,

the virtue of the sun and the virtue of the moon, but also]

that the two matters

(and virtues)

will be as one.

And this matter

[the combination and unification of the two above matters]

is a preparation and vessel

[and in a manner of a limb,

which is not only a receiver but also draws down]

for the drawing down of the Ein Sof, which is beyond the category of "above and below."

[And in the manner known,

that after the completeness of arousal from below

(aspect of the moon)

and the revelation of arousal from above

(aspect of the sun)

(drawn down through arousal from below),

afterward an arousal from above is drawn from a place that arousal from below does not reach there at all].

For the completeness of the service

[in the combination of the two above matters,

a complete year]

is the complete site,

which is a vessel for the indwelling of the Ein Sof,

for the Holy One, blessed be He, dwells in a complete site.

And until that through this is made the drawing down of the Awtsmoos, which is the true and ultimate completeness.

And Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He,

(through the Torah)

become entirely one,

and in a manner that it is not possible to distinguish between them,

since the Torah of truth testifies that they are one.