English translation — מאמר יהודה אתה יודוך תשל"ח

B"S.

Erev Tuesday, Parshat Vayechi,

the Tenth of Teves,

may it be turned to joy

– in his room – 5738*

– transcription –

"Yehudah, you [shall be] praised by your brothers, etc."

And it is explained by the Alter Rebbe in Torah Or at the beginning of our portion,

that Yehudah is named for "this time I will thank (odeh) Hashem"

[and] it is the aspect of gratitude (hoda'ah) inherent in the collective souls of Israel.

And in order for this gratitude to be in a state of revelation, it is through "your brothers,"

Reuven, Shimon, and Levi

[the brothers of Yehudah who were born before him].

And this is "your brothers will praise you (yoducha),"

that "your brothers"

[Reuven, Shimon, and Levi]

are the ones who cause and bring about the aspect of gratitude (hoda'ah) of Yehudah

(so that it will be in revelation).

And it is explained there,

that Reuven and Shimon are the two sections of Kriyas Shema, and Levi is the aspect of Emes Veyatziv

(which follows Kriyas Shema),

and through this one subsequently comes to Shemoneh Esrei,

[which is] the aspect of gratitude (hoda'ah) and self-nullification (bittul) of the aspect of Yehudah.

2)

And the concept is

(as explained in Torah Or there),

that behold, Reuven is named for "because He saw (ra'ah) etc.,"

Shimon is named for "because He heard (shama) etc."

And their significance in the service of G-d

(in each and every Jew),

the aspect of Reuven is that his service to his Master is not only in the category of intellectual comprehension, but rather in the category of sight.

That is, his certainty in Divinity is with the greatest possible certainty,

analogous to a person who sees some thing, regarding whom it is impossible that he should have any doubt about it,

since he himself saw the thing.

And likewise is it in the service of G-d,

that his contemplation

[and particularly regarding the matter of Divine Providence]

is in a manner

(of seeing)

that the matter becomes certain for him as if he sees it with actual physical sight.

And from this sight he comes to the aspect of love of Hashem,

and as it is written

(regarding the naming of Reuven)

"because He saw... for now my husband will love me."

And this is the matter of the first portion of Kriyas Shema,

"And you shall love Hashem your G-d, etc."

And the aspect of Shimon

(named for "because He heard etc.")

is that his service is in the category of hearing and intellectual comprehension alone, and not in the category of sight.

And since he is then still in a state of distance

[analogous to a person who hears something that is told to him,

but he himself did not see],

therefore his service is in the line of fear.

And this is the matter of the second portion of Kriyas Shema,

"And it will be, if you surely listen... guard yourselves, lest your heart be seduced, etc."

For since the matter of Divinity is for him only in the category of hearing

("if you surely listen"),

therefore his service must be in the line of fear

("guard yourselves, etc.").

And the aspect of Levi, on the name "my husband will be joined to me,"

is that which after Shema we say "Emes VeYatziv" etc. "this matter is upon us,"

"this matter" refers to the Torah,

for through the Torah it becomes "my husband will be joined to me"

(as will be explained below).

3)

And the explanation of the matter:

Behold, the three aforementioned aspects

(Reuven, Shimon, and Levi)

are the three lines upon which the world stands

[also, "the world is a small man,"

"you are called man"]

Torah, service, and acts of kindness.

The aspect of Reuven

(love)

is the line of acts of kindness.

For when one has love of Hashem, he also has love of Israel

[since love of Hashem and love of Israel are entirely one],

and therefore,

his service is in the line of acts of kindness,

for love is

the cause of kindness and its innerness,

a drawing down from above to below.

And the aspect of Shimon

(awe)

is the line of service,

the matter of prayer,

the left line

[and in prayer itself, this is the matter of the second portion of Shema,

as above],

an elevation from below to above.

And the aspect of Levi, on the name "my husband will be joined to me," is the line of Torah,

for through the Torah, Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one.

And this is the matter of "my husband will be joined to me,"

for through the Torah, a connection is made with "my husband," this is the Holy One, blessed be He,

until Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one.

And this is that the aspect of Levi is the matter of "Emes VeYatziv" etc. "this matter" that refers

(as above)

to the Torah.

4)

And this is "Yehudah, you, your brothers will praise you,"

that the service of the aspects of

(your brothers)

Reuven, Shimon, and Levi,

the two portions of Shema and Emes VeYatziv,

is an introduction and preparation for the aspect of Yehudah,

the service of the silent prayer,

thanksgiving and self-nullification,

like a servant before his master.

For the self-nullification of the silent prayer is a self-nullification in the ultimate sense, higher even than the self-nullification of Shema.

And this is also understood from the differences in the laws

(regarding interruption, etc.)

between Shema and the silent prayer.

And this matter

[that through the service of the aspects of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi, one subsequently reaches the aspect of Yehudah

(the fourth son)]

is in the manner of the known concept

regarding the three crowns

[the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship,

which are in the three lines of Torah, service, and acts of kindness]

and the crown of a good name that rises above them

[which is higher than them],

that in order to reach the aspect of the crown of a good name, it is through the three crowns,

it rises above them.

5)

Now, this quality of Yehudah requires the preparatory service of the aspects of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi,

meaning, in order that the gratitude of the aspect of Yehudah will be in revelation.

But in concealment and inwardness, this gratitude is constant.

And as explained in Torah Ohr23

that the yud of Yehudah indicates the present and constant, like "Thus did Iyov all the days"24,

meaning that the gratitude within each and every Jew is constant.

For what is written3

"This time I will thank Hashem"

(since not all times are equal)

applies only regarding revelation,

due to the concealment and hiding of the body and the Nefesh HaBahamis

(and especially due to the concealment and hiding of the exile),

but the Nefesh HaElokis within each and every Jew

[which is his true essence]

is always faithful with Him25

and "I will thank Hashem" is within him constantly,

and no change applies to this, G-d forbid.

And the preparatory service of the aspects of Reuven, Shimon, and Levi is in order to arouse26

the gratitude that is in the innerness of the heart so that it will be in revelation,

and until its effect emerges from potential to actual, in thought, speech, and action.

6)

And the verse continues, "Your hand on the neck of your enemies,"

that through the revelation of the gratitude of the aspect of Yehudah, "Your hand on the neck of your enemies" is achieved spiritually

(as the concept is explained in Torah Ohr27)

and also physically,

for a verse does not depart from its simple meaning28.

And after "Your hand on the neck of your enemies," it is stated, "A lion cub is Yehudah... the scepter shall not depart from Yehudah..."29,

and it can be said, as a possibility, that this hints that "Your hand on the neck of your enemies" is before the redemption30.

For, behold, "A lion cub... the scepter shall not depart from Yehudah" refers to Dovid and Shlomo,

from whose seed will be King Moshiach31

about whom it is said, "and a staff shall arise from Israel"32

[for then it will be, "And My servant Dovid shall be king over them"33,

and "Dovid My servant shall be their prince forever"34,

as stated in the haftarah of this past Shabbos,

"the eighth, all the days are blessed"35].

And before this,

at the conclusion of the time of exile36,

there will be "Your hand on the neck of your enemies,"

that all the enemies of Israel

[for all of Israel are called by the name Yehudah37]

will have dread and fear fall upon them38.

Through the revelation of the gratitude within the collective souls of Israel,

and until it comes into actuality in thought, speech, and action,

"If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments..."39,

behold, through this there will be

(as the continuation of the verses in Parshat Bechukotai40)

"and your enemies shall fall before you..."

7)

And it can be said that this is also the connection of "Yehudah, your brothers shall praise you, your hand on the neck of your enemies" to "Vayechi Yaakov in the land of Egypt,"

that even when Israel is in exile

(for all exiles,

the kingdoms41

are called by that name)

Egypt is in the aspect of "Vayechi" through the study of Torah, the Torah of life, and the fulfillment of its commandments, about which it is said42

"and live by them"

[and according to the explanation of the Alter Rebbe, who said to his grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek, on the verse "Vayechi Yaakov in the land of Egypt,"

that through "Yehudah he sent before him... to instruct before him in Goshen, to prepare for him a house of study, etc."43

there was the aspect of "Vayechi" even in Egypt44],

and through this is achieved45

(Yehudah, your brothers shall praise you)

"Your hand on the neck of your enemies,"

and as our sages said46

when the voice is the voice of Yaakov in synagogues and study halls, the hands of Esav do not prevail,

and moreover,

the nations of the world themselves assist Israel in all material matters so that they can study Torah and fulfill mitzvos with ease,

and in a manner of increasing and adding light.

And this light pushes away the darkness of exile and brings the redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

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

speedily in our days, literally.