English translation — מאמר ברוך שעשה נסים תשמ"ג

With the help of Heaven.

Shabbat Parshat Miketz,

Zot Chanukah 5743*

"Blessed is He who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time,"

Now, this blessing applies

(not to the miracle of the victory of the war,

"delivering the mighty into the hands of the weak, etc."1,

but rather)

to the miracle that occurred with the cruse of oil.

And therefore we recite it when lighting the Chanukah candles

(or when seeing the candles)2

which they instituted as a remembrance of the miracle that occurred with the cruse of oil.

And it is explained in the discourse "Baruch she'asah nissim" of the Alter Rebbe

(with glosses and notes, etc., of the Tzemach Tzedek3)4,

that in order to understand why the miracle of Chanukah was established with lights,

one must first preface an explanation of the concept of oil.

And he explains there at length,

that the fact that oil floats on top of

(wine and water)

all other liquids5

is

[like all physical matters which are derived from their spiritual counterpart6]

because oil is higher than wine and water.

For wine and water are Binah and Chochmah

(wine is Binah and water is Chochmah),

and oil is Chochmah S'tima'ah,

the wisdom that is in Keter.

And based on this, he explains there that the inauguration of the altar was accomplished by anointing it with the anointing oil7.

For the inauguration of the altar

(inauguration from the term "chinuch" [education/initiation])

was through drawing down supernal lights that are above the draw-downs that come through the sacrifices, etc., which were offered afterward.

[And as explained elsewhere8,

that the fact that the princes donated many gifts for the inauguration of the altar,

and also offered incense upon the outer altar9,

is

because in order to inaugurate the altar so that it would be fit to offer sacrifices upon it,

it was necessary to draw down into it most exalted draw-downs,

which are above the draw-downs that come through the sacrifices, etc., which were offered afterward].

And therefore the inauguration of the altar was by anointing it with oil,

the aspect of Chochmah S'tima'ah,

which is above the draw-downs that were drawn down afterward through the sacrifices and libations.

And after he explains the concept of the anointing oil,

he explains10,

that "oil for illumination"

[with which the miracle of Chanukah occurred]

is even more exalted than the anointing oil11.

2)

And it can be said,

that this which is explained at length in the maamar

(of Chanukah)

the reason for this, that the dedication of the altar was through anointing oil, is not only as an introduction,

that through this the greatness of the superiority of the oil for light will be better understood

(which is higher even than the anointing oil)

with which the miracle of Chanukah occurred,

but rather,

that also this matter

(the dedication of the altar with anointing oil)

is related to Chanukah.

For the reason that it is called by the name Chanukah is because of the dedication of the altar that took place

then.

And this is also one of the reasons that on Chanukah we read the offerings of the princes.

And based on this, it can be said,

that also in the dedication of the altar that took place on Chanukah, there was the matter of anointing oil in spirituality.

Except that there is in it a more elevated matter—the miracle that occurred with the oil for light,

which is more elevated

(as above)

than the anointing oil.

And this is also what the conclusion of the reading of the days of Chanukah

(after they read the offerings of the princes,

and also "this was the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed")

is "When you raise up the lamps," which alludes

(also)

to the Chanukah lights,

that it can be said,

that it is in the order of from below upward,

first the dedication of the altar through anointing oil,

and afterwards the matter of the oil for light and the miracle that occurred with it.

3)

And the explanation of the matter:

Behold, the offerings that were sacrificed upon the altar,

and likewise the libations that were poured upon it,

are the drawing down of the aspect of internality.

Therefore they are called offerings and libations by the name of eating and drinking,

for the drawing down through the offerings and libations is the aspect of internality

(analogous to physical eating and drinking which become blood and flesh like his flesh).

And the drawing down through the libations is more elevated than the drawing down through the offerings.

For just as in physical eating and drinking,

through bread only the externality of the life-force of the soul is revealed, and through wine the internality of the soul is revealed,

so too is it with the eating and drinking of the altar,

that the drawing down through the offerings, which are called by the name "bread,"

is

(only)

"the spreading forth of life-force to enliven all the worlds"

(Memaleh Kol Almin),

and through the libations is the drawing down and revelation of the internality

(which is above the life-force of the worlds),

Sovev Kol Almin.

And within the libations themselves,

behold, on the festival of Sukkos there was also the water libation

(in addition to the wine libation which was also on all the days of the year),

which is higher even than the wine libation,

and as explained in Likkutei Torah,

that this is why the wine libation is explicit in the Written Torah, while the water libation is a halachah to Moshe from Sinai

and the Rabbis only supported it with verses,

for the aspect of Chochmah

(the water libation)

"cannot be written in the Written Torah,

to be spread forth in the form of written letters."

Therefore,

the water libation is specifically in the Oral Torah,

in the manner of "the words of the Scribes are more beloved to me than the wine of the Torah."

And it can be added,

that the connection of this matter

(that wine is Binah and water is Chochmah)

to wine and water in their simple physical sense is,

that wine has taste and it is a thing that gladdens,

to the point that we do not recite song except over wine,

but water has no taste,

therefore we do not recite a blessing over water unless one drinks to quench his thirst,

because a person derives no pleasure from drinking water except when he is thirsty.

For this distinction between wine and water is

(in accordance with their matter in spirituality)

that wine is Binah,

taste

(understanding and comprehension),

and water is Chochmah,

above taste.

4)

Now, it is explained in several discourses,

that the fact that Torah is compared to wine and oil

refers to the secrets of Torah,

which are analogous to wine and oil that are concealed and hidden within grapes and olives

[And the difference between wine and oil is,

that wine is the secrets of Torah,

and oil is the secrets within secrets].

From this it is understood,

that the fact that Torah is compared to water

refers to the revealed part of Torah.

And as explained in Tanya,

that the reason for this, that Torah is compared to water, is that just as water descends from a high place to a low place,

so too Torah descended from its place, which is His will and wisdom, blessed be He, and from there it traveled and descended until it clothed itself in physical matters and worldly affairs,

for most laws of the Torah are about physical matters.

And one must understand,

that this explanation is seemingly the opposite of what is explained in this maamar

(the discourse "Baruch She'asah Nissim")

and in the discourses of the festival of Sukkos

(regarding the libation of water and wine)

that water is superior to wine.

And the explanation of this can be stated,

based on the well-known principle

that whatever is highest descends the lowest.

From this it is understood,

that the fact that water, in their own essence, have a nature of extension and revelation,

to the point that they descend

(specifically)

to a low place,

and even after they have been drawn downward they continue by their nature to a lower place,

is because the source of their extension is from the highest place.

And based on this, it can be said,

that the implication in several discourses that water is lower than wine is from the perspective of their actual nature.

For water has a nature of extension and revelation as mentioned,

unlike wine, which in its own essence,

is concealed and hidden within its grapes,

and in order for it to come from concealment to revelation, it requires action and effort.

[This is also the reason for the saying "when wine enters, a secret emerges,"

for just as the wine itself is a revelation of the hidden

(that which was initially in concealment

(hidden within its grapes)

came to revelation),

so too it acts upon the person,

that he "brings out" the secret within him,

so that it comes into revelation].

And what is explained in these discourses, that water is superior to wine, is from the perspective of the superiority of the source of water,

which is also evident in their nature

(in actuality),

that their descending to a low place is,

as mentioned,

because in their source they are higher.

And this is also why water has no taste,

for since even in their descent below it is evident in them that in their source they are higher,

therefore,

even in their descent below they are above taste

(as mentioned in section 3).

5)

Now, it is explained above

(section 1,

from the discourse "Baruch She'asah Nissim"),

that the fact that oil floats on top of all other liquids is because oil is higher than them.

And based on what is explained above

(section 4),

that the superiority of wine over water is that wine in its own essence is in concealment

(hidden within its grapes),

and the superiority of water over wine is from the perspective of their source, which is evident in them also in that they are above taste,

it must be said,

that the fact that oil is higher than both wine and water is in both aspects,

both in the aspect of its concealment,

for the concealment of oil

(that it is hidden within olives)

is a greater concealment than the concealment of wine

(that is hidden within its grapes),

and also in that it is above taste

(pleasure)

of man,

as will be explained below

(section 7).

And the explanation is,

that the concealment of wine

(which is hidden in its grapes)

is a concealment that is close to revelation,

therefore the revelation of wine from its concealment is by squeezing the grapes,

which is not such a great exertion.

However, the concealment of oil, as it is hidden in olives, is a concealment that is not close to revelation,

therefore in order to reveal the oil from its concealment one must crush the olives,

which is

(crushing)

a very great exertion.

And this is what is explained in the discourses

that wine is the secrets of Torah and oil is the secrets within secrets,

that in order to reveal the secrets of Torah,

since they are of the category of concealment that is related to revelation,

ordinary exertion suffices,

but in order to reveal the secrets within secrets,

since they are of the category of concealment that is not related to revelation,

one needs tremendous exertion.

6)

And this will be understood

(the difference between the two types of exertion mentioned above)

from the fact that also in the revealed part of Torah there are two types of exertion.

For although the study of Torah

(in general,

in whatever subject it may be)

must specifically be with exertion

[to the extent that even when one reviews a subject he has already learned,

his study must be with depth and exertion,

to the point that if he reviews a subject he has already learned without depth, this is called "nullification of Torah"],

and certainly when one studies deep subjects in Torah, then he must exert himself with even greater exertion,

and there are in this

(as understood)

many levels,

nevertheless,

the exertion in all these levels is not in a manner that requires nullifying one's prior existence.

However, when one studies a subject in Torah that is not commensurate with his level,

the exertion is in a manner that requires nullifying his prior existence

(crushing).

And this is analogous to Reish Lakish who fasted one hundred fasts in order to forget the Babylonian Talmud so that he could study the Jerusalem Talmud.

And likewise is the difference between the exertion for the revelation of the secrets of Torah and the exertion for the revelation of the secrets within secrets.

7)

And there is another superiority of oil over wine,

that oil, even after it comes to revelation

(through crushing),

is not fit for drinking by itself,

and one does not recite a blessing over it

(when drinking it as is, by itself)

because it is harmful to a person,

unlike wine, which after being squeezed is a significant beverage and one recites the blessing "borei pri hagafen" over it,

because oil

(even after crushing)

is still above the level of actual revelation,

[and therefore] is not fit for drinking.

And one may add,

that this matter of the concealment of oil

(which is unfit for drinking)

is more elevated even than the concealment of water, which has no taste

(as discussed above in sections 3-4).

For water,

although it has no taste,

is fit for drinking.

And beyond this,

it is even possible to derive pleasure from it

(except that in order to derive pleasure from it, a person must have a sensation of lack

(thirst)).

But oil,

(when it is by itself)

is not only something from which one cannot derive pleasure, but it is entirely unfit for drinking,

because it is a level of concealment that is above revelation.

And it may be said,

that this distinction between wine, water, and oil

[for wine has taste,

water has no taste

(but is fit for drinking)

and oil is unfit for drinking]

corresponds to their spiritual meaning.

For wine is Binah,

and therefore it has taste

(understanding and comprehension),

water is Chochmah

(which is above understanding and comprehension),

and therefore it has no taste,

but nevertheless it is fit for drinking, and even one can derive pleasure from it,

because it is revealed Chochmah,

and oil is Chochmah S timaah, which is above the revelation of Binah and also above the revelation of Chochmah,

and is unfit for drinking.

8)

And this is that the dedication of the altar was by anointing it with the anointing oil,

for by drawing into it from the aspect of Chochmah S timaah

(the Chochmah that is in Kesser),

through this there was also drawn the power for the burning of the offerings and for the libation of wine of Binah and the libation of water of Chochmah48.

And the maamar adds48,

that in the anointing oil there were spices49,

the matter of smell,

which is even higher than oil.

And the explanation of this may be said,

that oil,

although it is above taste and human pleasure, to the point that it is unfit for drinking,

is still grasped by touch.

But smell is not grasped by touch,

and furthermore,

smell is50

a thing from which the soul derives pleasure, not the body51.

And from this one may also understand regarding the levels of the wisdom of Torah, which are compared to oil and to smell,

that the Torah being compared to oil refers, as above, to the secrets of secrets,

which even they

(the secrets of secrets)

come in intellectual revelation,

to the point that they are clothed in letters.

But the matter of smell in Torah is entirely above comprehension.

Nevertheless,

just as smell,

although it is a thing from which the soul derives pleasure and not the body,

it is known52

that through a strong smell one restores the soul that has been drawn into revelation in the body,

similarly it may be said regarding the matter of smell in Torah,

that it is drawn into actual practical ruling,

to the point that Moshiach will "smell and judge"53,

for the aspect of smell in him will be drawn into actual practical ruling

("smell and judge"),

except that the reason for the ruling is entirely above intellect.

And it may be said that this is like "Shav was silent"54

and nevertheless did not retract55,

for although this was for him a level of vision of Chochmah that was not revealed in intellect at all,

nevertheless,

based on this vision

(which is above intellect)

he issued an actual practical ruling.

9)

And now, after the maamar explains

(beginning with "Baruch She'asah Nissim")

the great superiority of the anointing oil,

it explains,

that "oil for illumination"

(in which the miracle of Chanukah occurred)

is even more elevated than the anointing oil.

For the light produced from the oil

(for light comes from the consumption of the oil)

is above the oil.

And this is analogous to the fragrance that was in the anointing oil, which is above the oil.

[And furthermore,

the light produced from the oil is above even the fragrance of the oil,

as explained in the maamar].

And the difference between them is,

that the fragrance in the anointing oil is for the sake of the oil,

for through the fragrance the oil of anointing is drawn into revelation,

so that they could inaugurate the altar with it

(to make it fit for offerings and libations),

but regarding oil and light, it is the opposite,

the oil is for the sake of the light,

to the point that the oil is consumed and light is made from it.

And there is another aspect to this,

the light that comes from the consumption of the oil,

even though in its own essence it is a state of concealment,

for in addition to the nature of light

(whatever fire it may be)

to ascend to its source,

regarding this light

(that comes from the consumption of the oil),

even the oil itself is a state of concealment,

and certainly the light that comes from the consumption of the oil and is above it,

and nevertheless,

it

becomes a light that illuminates.

And moreover,

through the oil it burns gently,

a light of settled calm.

10)

And)

From all this, the great superiority of the miracle of Chanukah, which was with the cruse of oil, is understood,

that there was only enough to light for one day, yet a miracle occurred and they lit from it for eight days,

for the light they lit from this oil,

since it was through a miracle,

is even more elevated,

and nevertheless,

this light also shone in revelation,

and with settled calm.

And this can be connected with the fact that they lit for eight days,

"The days of Chanukah are eight,"

for the matter of eight days is

(as explained in the maamar there)

the drawing down from the seven days of Atik

(a most elevated level)

into Malchus

(the source of created beings,

and through Malchus this light is drawn down in revelation even below).

11)

A)

And may it be His will,

that very soon we merit the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

when "He will smite it into seven streams,"

and together with this, the lyre of eight strings,

and up to the lyre of the World to Come, which will have ten strings,

and this lyre will also be in the Third Holy Temple, which will be built with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu

(for the Third Holy Temple will be an eternal House),

and all this very soon,

and in a manner of "immediately,"

in the language of the Rambam,

"immediately they are redeemed."