English translation — מאמר ויתן לך תשכ"ח

With the help of Heaven.

Shabbos Parshas Toldos,

Rosh Chodesh and Erev Rosh Chodesh Kislev,

5728

"And may G-d give you from the dew of the heavens and from the fat of the land, etc."¹

And the precise point in this is known,²

for all blessings are from the Name Havayah,

for the Name Elokim is the attribute of judgment and contraction, and blessings, whose essence is drawing down and influence, are from the Name Havayah,

and like the Priestly Blessing, in each of its three verses³

the Name Havayah is mentioned,

yet in this blessing it says "And may G-d give you" [using Elokim].

And one may add,

that this precise point

(that regarding a blessing the Name Elokim is mentioned)

is also in the first blessing with which Yitzchak was blessed after the death of Avraham, as it is written⁴

"And G-d blessed Yitzchak his son."

For in all the blessings with which the Holy One, blessed be He, blessed Avraham⁵

[and also in the blessings with which He blessed Yitzchak afterwards⁶]

the Name Havayah is stated,

and from this it is implied

that the first blessing with which He blessed Yitzchak, in which it says "And G-d blessed," and the blessing with which Yitzchak blessed [Yaakov], "And may G-d give you," are related to each other.

2)

And one may say the point of the explanation of this according to what is explained in the Siddur

(with the Torah of Chassidus)

Shaar HaTekios,⁷

that the influence drawn from the gevurot is greater than the influence drawn from the chassadim.

For chassadim are by nature cold, and therefore the influence from them is with limitation,

in contrast to the gevurot, which are with heat,

the influence from them is in a manner of intensification,

to the point of limitless abundance.

And based on this, it explains there that specifically Yitzchak blessed with such elevated blessings

(from the dew of the heavens and from the fat of the land, etc.),

which we do not find such blessings with Avraham nor with Yaakov,

for Yitzchak is gevurah,⁸

and therefore the blessings of Yitzchak are with great abundance.

And based on this, one may explain the verse⁴

"And it was after the death of Avraham, and G-d blessed Yitzchak his son,"

that during Avraham's lifetime

(the aspect of chesed⁸)

the aspect of chesed from above shone,

and after the death of Avraham,

when the conduct

(including the conduct above)

was according to the attribute of Yitzchak,

gevurah,

the blessings were drawn from the gevurot of the Name Elokim,⁹

which are more elevated blessings than the blessings drawn from the chassadim.

And this is also that in Yitzchak's blessing to Yaakov it is written "And may G-d give you" [using Elokim],

that the influence will be with abundance and intensification.

3)

Now, the blessing with which Yitzchak blessed [Yaakov], "And may God give you," is a blessing more elevated than the blessing of "And God blessed Yitzchak his son."

For the blessing with which Yitzchak was blessed by God would have been drawn to his children even if he had not blessed them,

and according to Rashi's commentary on the verse,

"And God blessed Yitzchak his son" —

that Avraham was afraid to bless Yitzchak because he foresaw that Esav would descend from him,

[so] he said, "Let the Master of blessings come and bless whomever is good in His eyes," and the Holy One, blessed be He, came and blessed him.

From this it is understood

that just as if Avraham had blessed Yitzchak,

the blessing would have been drawn also to Esav even if he had not blessed him,

so too regarding the blessing with which God blessed Yitzchak,

this blessing was drawn of itself to both his sons,

even to Esav.

But the blessing with which Yitzchak blessed [Yaakov], "And may God give you of the dew of the heavens, etc.," is a more elevated blessing.

And this is also why Yaakov exerted himself greatly and did several things not in his usual manner,

in order to receive the blessings,

even though the blessing of "And God blessed Yitzchak his son" was drawn to him of itself,

because the blessing "And may God give you of the dew of the heavens, etc." is more elevated than the blessing of "And God blessed Yitzchak his son."

4)

This will be understood by prefacing what is explained in Torah Ohr on our portion

and in several discourses,

that Yitzchak wanted to bless Esav even though he knew that the name of Heaven was not habitual in his mouth,

because Yitzchak saw that in Esav there were very high holy sparks,

and therefore he wanted to bless him,

to draw down upon him a supernal light,

through which the sparks within him would be refined.

However,

if this light had been drawn upon Esav

(not through Yaakov),

it would have been in one of two ways —

either it would have been absorbed within him, or his existence would have been nullified.

And in order that the refinement of Esav be specifically through Yaakov,

therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, arranged that Yitzchak would bless Yaakov, and the drawing down of the supernal lights

(the dew of the heavens and the fat of the land)

would be to Yaakov,

through which he would refine the sparks within Esav.

5)

And to understand what is the aspect of the supernal lights through which the sparks are refined,

this will be understood from what is explained in Torah Ohr there and in the aforementioned discourses,

that the klipot are in number eleven.

For in holiness the number is ten —

"ten and not nine, ten and not eleven,"

but in the side of impurity there are eleven impure crowns.

And this is also why in the incense there were eleven spices,

in order to refine the eleven impure crowns.

And that the side of impurity is in the number eleven

is

because they also count the life-force that animates them.

For in holiness, the life-force of the ten Sefiros

[and likewise every matter in holiness,

that every matter is in the number ten]

is drawn within their inwardness and is unified with them,

and therefore it is not counted by itself.

But in the side of impurity,

the life-force that animates them is separate from them

[for if it were drawn within them in their inwardness, it would be absorbed within them and would not be an aspect of life-force],

and therefore it is considered by itself.

Now, the sitra achra is parallel to this in holiness.

And from this it is understood,

that just as in impurity there is a level that is an eleventh that is separate from the ten,

so too in holiness there is parallel to this,

that there is a level that is above the ten Sefiros and separate from them.

[However, in holiness,

this level is not the life-force of the ten Sefiros

[for the life-force of the ten Sefiros is invested within them and unified with them as above.

And the encompassing level that is above the ten Sefiros is a matter unto itself19]

Therefore it is not counted with them,

"You are One and not in number"20,

but not so in the sitra achra,

where the encompassing level is their life-force,

it is necessary to include the encompassing in their count

(for without the encompassing they have no life-force21),

therefore they are eleven in number].

And based on this it is understood,

that the refinement of the eleven crowns of impurity is through the drawing down of the encompassing level that is above the ten Sefiros,

which is not counted with them

(the level of Atik22),

paralleling the eleventh level in the sitra achra that is separate from them as above.

And this is "Vayiten Lecha Elokim mital hashamayim,"

for the first matter in Yitzchak's blessing is dew,

the dew of Atika23,

because in order to refine the sparks that are in Eisav, it is through the drawing down of the level of Atik,

as above.

6)

Now, in order for there to be a drawing down of Atik below, to the extent that through this there will be a refinement of the sparks in the sitra achra,

it is specifically through the drawing down of the Essence of Ein Sof, which is above even Atik.

For Atik, in and of itself,

since its matter is that it is removed and separate from the chain of descent

(Atik from the term "ne'etik" - removed24),

it is impossible for it to be drawn down below,

and in order for it to be drawn down below, it is specifically through the Essence of Ein Sof, which is not defined by any definition.

And based on this, the superiority and novelty of Yitzchak's blessing "Vayiten Lecha Elokim" over "Vayevarech Elokim es Yitzchak" will be understood,

for the blessing "Vayiten Lecha Elokim" is that there should be a drawing down below to refine the sparks that are in Eisav,

and this drawing down is from the Essence of Ein Sof,

as above.

And this is "Vayiten Lecha Elokim"

(Elokim with the definite article),

the level of the essential concealment of Ein Sof,

from which comes the power of refinements25.

And this is26 what is stated in the Midrash27

"Dew of heaven" — this is Scripture, and "fat of the land" — this is Mishnah, "grain" — this is Talmud, etc.,

for at first glance it is not understood,

for even without Yitzchak's blessing, the Torah would have been given to Israel,

since the purpose of creation was for Israel to receive the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, made a condition with the act of Creation, etc., "If Israel accepts the Torah, etc."28,

and what is it that he blessed him with Torah?

And the explanation of this is known,

that Yitzchak's blessing was concerning the matter of toil in Torah, through which one reaches a level above the Torah as it is in itself.

For the Torah in itself is the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He,

and higher still — Chochmah Setima'ah (Concealed Wisdom),

and through toil in Torah,

toil in the manner of Or Chozer (Returning Light),

one reaches the essential concealment

(of the Torah),

"No eye29

has seen a God besides You."

9)

And one may add,

that since in the side of impurity it is in the number eleven,

meaning that even the encompassing is included in the number,

because it is the vitality that animates them as mentioned above,

therefore,

through the refinement of the eleven crowns of impurity,

it is done likewise in holiness,

that even the aspect of Atik

(which is not in the count of the Sefiros)

is drawn into the ten Sefiros in their inwardness.

And this matter is a greater novelty than the drawing down of Atik to refine clarifications

(for the drawing down below is only a giving of power).

And from this it is understood,

that in this matter

(the drawing of Atik into the ten Sefiros in their inwardness,

which is accomplished through the work of clarifications)

there is also revealed the Awtsmoos

(which is not defined by any definition)

even more.

And this is "Vayiten Lecha,"

"He will give and again give,"

for the first giving is the drawing down of the essential concealment

("Vayiten Lecha Elokim")

in order to refine clarifications,

and that He will again give,

is the drawing down and revelation of the Essence that is accomplished through the work of clarifications.

And through "Vayiten Lecha Elokim,"

the drawing down of the essential concealment in the two aforementioned modes

("He will give and again give"),

there is also drawn down "from the dew of the heavens and from the fat of the earth," etc.,

the Scriptural verse and its interpretation, etc.,

and also from the dew of the heavens literally,

for dew is not withheld

(and especially that initially there is no thought to withhold it, G-d forbid),

and likewise from the fat of the earth and abundance of grain and wine literally,

and in the ultimate expansion,

until the building of the Third Holy Temple,

Yaakov who called it "House,"

and from there light goes out to the entire world,

that they make the entire world a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He.