English translation — מאמר וידבר אלוקים אל משה תשל"א

B'S"D.

Shabbat Parshat Va'eira,

Rosh Chodesh Shevat,

5731*

(Unedited draft)

"And Elokim spoke to Moshe and said to him, 'I am Havayah. And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov... but My name Havayah I did not make known to them.'"

And the precise point

in this of the Baal HaHilula is known, regarding what is said, "but My name Havayah I did not make known to them,"

for is not the name Havayah stated many times in speech to the Patriarchs?

And as Rashi's commentary raised this difficulty.

Also, one must understand what is said here specifically, "I am Havayah,"

what is the connection of the name Havayah to the Exodus from Egypt and to the Giving of the Torah

(which are connected to each other,

as it is stated,

"When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve Elokim on this mountain").

Now, from what is explained in this discourse in Torah Or,

it is understood

that to the Patriarchs, the name Havayah was revealed only through the name Elokim,

which in general is the aspect of the name Havayah below,

but the name Havayah above was not made known to them,

unlike at the Giving of the Torah, when the name Havayah that is above enclothing in the name Elokim was revealed,

the aspect of the name Havayah above.

Therefore, before the Giving of the Torah, there was a decree

that the upper ones would not descend to the lower ones and the lower ones would not ascend to the upper ones,

and at the Giving of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, nullified the decree and said that the lower ones will ascend to the upper ones,

and the upper ones will descend to the lower ones,

and I will begin,

as it is stated,

"And Havayah descended upon Mount Sinai,"

and it is written,

"And to Moshe He said, 'Ascend to Havayah.'"

And this is what is said to him here, "I am Havayah,"

that a new revelation begins,

that the name Havayah which is above enclothing in the name Elokim will be revealed,

the name Havayah above.

2)

And one should connect this with the discourse of the Baal HaHilula

(which has not yet been printed)

beginning with the words "Ashrei Yosheivei Beisecha"7

[And it seems that the discourse beginning with these words in the Siddur of the Mitteler Rebbe

is based on the aforementioned discourse,

and it is explained at greater length in the commentary on the words by the Mitteler Rebbe8,

and in the commentary on the words by the Tzemach Tzedek9

– with the addition of notes and cross-references],

which explains10

there the entire prayer of Ashrei until the verse "Hashem is close to all who call upon Him,"

(and the continuation of the verses has already been explained in other places in the discourses of the Alter Rebbe).

And the content of its explanation is,

that Ashrei is the aspect of Kesser Elyon,

which is called Ashrei, which is the matter of delight

(from the phrase "In my Ashrei, for the daughters call me fortunate"11).

And likewise, Kesser Elyon is called Atik, which is the aspect of the supernal delight,

and from it, it clothes itself in Abba and Imma, who are called "Yosheivei Beisecha,"

which are the two houses of Chochmah and Binah.

3)

And he continues to explain the psalm12

"Tehillah L'Dovid, Aromimcha Elokai HaMelech etc."

(And this psalm is the essence of the prayer of Ashrei and is the reason for its recitation,

as our sages, of blessed memory, said13

"One who recites 'Tehillah L'Dovid' three times daily is guaranteed etc.").

And he explains regarding this,

that "Aromimcha" is also an aspect of Kesser,

which is called "Ram" because it is elevated above all ten Sefiros,

for all ten Sefiros are in a state of revelation,

but Kesser is the concealment of all concealments,

and therefore he said regarding Kesser "Aromimcha,"

meaning "I will exalt You."

And this is also the explanation of "Aromimcha" with a Chaf,

for the Chaf also alludes to the aspect of Kesser,

first, because Chaf is the beginning of the word Kesser,

and second, because Chaf is twice Yud,

which is ten Sefiros in direct light from above to below,

and ten Sefiros in returning light from below to above14,

and they are included in Kesser

[unlike when they are by themselves, it is not possible for them to be in the number twenty,

for they are two different categories15,

and specifically in Kesser they are included as one entity of twenty].

However,

the fact that it says "Aromimcha" in the second person,

seemingly implies that it is an expression of revelation,

yet Kesser is hidden from the comprehension of created beings.

But regarding this, it says afterwards "Elokai HaMelech,"

meaning,

the main reason for the ability to comprehend it is because it clothes itself in the King,

that is, Malchus of Atzilus,

in which Kesser clothes itself,

for the end is interwoven in the beginning etc.16

And the reason is,

because when Malchus of Atzilus descends very low to the place of the kelipos to clarify sparks,

for this reason the kelipos are able to draw sustenance from it,

and therefore it needs protection from a high place,

that is, from the aspect of the light of Kesser,

and within this itself,

not only the externality of Kesser,

but also the internality of Kesser,

and as above, that Ashrei refers to Atik, which is the supernal delight, that is, the internality of Kesser

(and not only Will, which is the externality of Kesser),

and this aspect, which is very high,

is drawn and interwoven specifically in Malchus, which is the last of the Sefiros.

And it can be said that this is also the meaning of "Aromimcha" with an elongated Chaf,

as is known, that the extension of the Chaf below the line indicates that it descends very, very low.

And this is what continues "and I will bless Your name forever and ever,"

that after the illumination of Kesser is revealed in Malchus,

then influence will be drawn from it to the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah,

and this is "and I will bless" from the language of "one who layers a vine"17,

that is, the drawing down that is drawn from the aspect of Malchus, which is called "Your name,"

which is an aspect of name and illumination only

(and not essence),

and the drawing down is "forever and ever,"

meaning that the drawing down to Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah is without end,

so that it can give life to creations without end,

even though this is from the aspect of "Your name" alone.

4)

And similarly, it is explained in the continuation of the discourse near its end18,

regarding what is stated in the continuation of the psalm,

"You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor, righteous is Hashem etc., Hashem is close etc."

And he explains this based on what our sages, of blessed memory, said19

"Do not read 'Yadecha' (Your hand) but rather 'Yudecha' (Your Yuds),"

and he explains that "You open Your hand" means the opening of the Yuds of the Tikkunei Dikna,

that the Tikkunei Dikna are Yuds and Vavs that are drawn and opened in Chochmah,

and this is the matter of the drawing down of Kesser.

And this drawing down is in a manner of "and satisfies every living thing with favor,"

meaning,

that Yesod is called "Chai" (living),

because through it come all the influences,

and therefore Kesser is drawn down into the aspect of Yesod so that through it, influence can flow to the entire order of Hishtalshelus.

And he continues to explain20

what is said "Righteous is Hashem in all His ways,"

that "Tzaddik" (righteous) is also Yesod,

and the difference between when it is called "Chai" and when it is called "Tzaddik" is,

that when it influences vitality to the internality of the worlds, it is called "Chai,"

and when it influences vitality to the externality of the worlds, it is called "Tzaddik,"

and this is "Righteous is Hashem in all His ways,"

that this drawing down is then drawn into the aspect of the externality of the worlds,

until "in all His ways,"

in all the ways of the order of Hishtalshelus.

And he continues to explain21

what is said "Hashem is close to all who call upon Him,"

that this is because Ein Sof is invested in Asiyah just as in Atzilus,

and therefore "Hashem is close to all who call upon Him" equally.

And there is to add explanation in what is said in the continuation of the verse, “to all who call Him in truth,”

for the matter of “close to all who call Him” equally

is from the aspect of a simple call,

an external call,

and above this is the closeness to “all who call Him in truth,”

which is the matter of an inner call,

which is a call in truth,

for then He is close in the utmost way,

and as explained elsewhere22

that “they call Him in truth” refers to the Torah,

“there is no truth but Torah,”23

for specifically through the Torah is the inner drawing down.

5)

And based on this24 there is to explain with additional elucidation the connection of the revelation of Havayah above to the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah,

for in order for there to be a descent also to the lower ones

(which was innovated at the Giving of the Torah)

there must be a drawing down from a more elevated aspect.

In the manner explained in the maamar, that in order for there to be “the God of the King” and especially “and I will bless Your name forever and ever,” there must be “I will exalt You.”

And this is “And God spoke to Moshe and said to him, ‘I am Havayah,’”

that initially the revelation of the Name Havayah was specifically through the Name Elokim,

and “My Name Havayah above I was not known to them.”

But in order to take Israel out of Egypt and for there to be the Giving of the Torah,

there must be drawn from a higher place,

from the aspect of Havayah above.

It is written,25

“Great is Havayah and exceedingly praised in the city of our God,”

and our sages, of blessed memory, said,26

“When is He great? When He is in the city of our God,”

that through the city of our God27

Havayah comes in a multiplicity of divisions to bring into being a multitude of creations,

“How manifold are Your works, Havayah!”28

(and also the bringing into being of “How great are Your works, Havayah!”29

is specifically through His coming into the city of our God).

However, the aspect of Havayah in His own essence is above division,

“He was, He is, and He will be as one,”30

and even to simple unity,

which is “and to His greatness there is no investigation,”31

which is the aspect of the greatness of Havayah in His own essence.

And behold, the aspect of the Name Havayah as it is contracted through the Name Elokim,

since it is a contracted and limited light,

is drawn only to Atzilus,

and in order for it to be drawn also below into the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah,

and even to this lowest world, beneath which there is no lower32

(the connection of the upper and lower that was innovated at the Giving of the Torah),

there must be drawn the Name Havayah that is above vestiture in the Name Elokim,

which is the aspect of Havayah above.

And based on this will be understood what Rashi explained: “I was not known to them in My attribute of truth,”

for seemingly, how can it be said that the attribute of truth was not revealed to the Patriarchs,

and especially to Yaakov, whose attribute is the attribute of truth?33

Rather, the intention is that the aspect of Havayah above was not revealed to them,

which is specifically His attribute of truth,

in the manner of what is said, “You give truth to Yaakov,”34

that even to Yaakov, whose attribute is the attribute of truth,

there is need to draw down the aspect of the supernal truth, the truth of Havayah.35

And this is what was innovated at the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah,

that the aspect of the Name Havayah above shone then,

and more particularly,

the Name Havayah of the aspect of Atik.

And likewise it will be in the future,

as it is said,36

“As in the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders,”

that there will then be a revelation of the Name Havayah above,

the aspect of “My attribute of truth,”

and even more than at the time of the Exodus from Egypt,37

for “I will show him the wonders” that at the Exodus from Egypt “and My face shall not be seen.”38

And behold, all the revelations of the future depend39

on our deeds and service during the time of exile,

therefore now the service must be above measure and limitation,

in the manner of the statement of our sages, of blessed memory, on the verse “And I appeared,” that the service must be in a manner of “they did not question,”40

“and I am Havayah,”

faithful41

to pay a good reward and to fulfill His promises, “and I will take you out, and I will save, and I will redeem, and I will take,”42

— which was said to Moshe, the faithful shepherd,

“He is the first redeemer, He is the final redeemer,”43

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

speedily in our days.