English translation — מאמר ויענך וירעיבך ויאכילך תשכ"ג

With the help of Heaven.

Shabbos of the portion of Eikev,

20 Menachem-Av, 5723*

"And He afflicted you and made you hungry and fed you the manna..."1,

And the Rebbe

(the Rebbe Rashab)

of blessed memory, in his maamar beginning with the words "Zeh"2,

[notes] that everywhere else in the Torah it speaks of the virtue of the manna,

but here it says "And He afflicted you and made you hungry..." which is seemingly the opposite of virtue.

Also, one must understand that it is stated in the Gemara3

Moshe instituted for Israel the blessing of "Hazan" at the time that the manna descended for them,

Yehoshua instituted for them the blessing of "Al HaAretz" when they entered the land.

And the Rashba wrote4

that the explanation of "Moshe instituted... Yehoshua instituted..."5

is that they established for them the formula of the blessings,

for the blessings themselves are from the Torah

[as it is stated in the Gemara3,

"And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless"6

— this is the blessing of "Hazan"... "upon the land" — this is the blessing of "Al HaAretz"].

And it is stated in Likkutei Torah7,

that the reason that in the blessing of "Al HaAretz" we also mention "upon the eating of food" and in the sealing of the blessing we seal "upon the land and upon the food"

(even though we have already recited the blessing of "Hazan"),

is,

because the wording and formula of the blessing of "Hazan" is for the manna,

bread from the heavens,

and the food in the blessing of "Al HaAretz" is bread from the land8.

And explanation is needed,

for the blessing of "Hazan" is for eating that satisfies

("And you shall eat and be satisfied"),

and eating that satisfies is

(primarily)

with bread from the land,

and nevertheless,

the blessing for the food of bread from the land is in the blessing of "Al HaAretz"

(in which "And you shall eat and be satisfied" is not stated9),

and the wording of the blessing of "Hazan"

(in which "And you shall eat and be satisfied" is written)

is for the manna, about which it is written "And He afflicted you and made you hungry"10.

Also, one must understand that the affliction of Yom Kippur is derived11

from the affliction stated regarding the manna,

[for] affliction is stated here

("And you shall afflict your souls"12)

and affliction is stated there

("And He afflicted you and made you hungry")

[so] just as there the affliction is of hunger, so too here the affliction is of hunger.

And explanation is needed,

for the affliction of hunger of the manna is that eating the manna did not satisfy them as fully needed

[for one who has bread in his basket is not comparable to one who does not have bread in his basket11

(and the manna was a thing13

day by day14)

and one who sees and eats is not comparable to one who does not see and eats11

(and with the manna they tasted all kinds but did not see anything but manna14)],

and from this that they compare the affliction of hunger of the manna to the affliction of hunger of Yom Kippur,

it implies,

that the affliction of hunger of the manna is

(not that eating the manna did not satisfy like eating in the usual manner,

but rather)

like one who did not eat15.

And it is noteworthy,

that based on this, one must understand even more that the wording of the blessing of "Hazan" is for the manna.

Also, one must understand16,

that now

(after the manna ceased),

all the blessings of Grace After Meals are seemingly for bread from the land,

and nevertheless the wording of the blessing of "Hazan" is the wording that Moshe instituted for the manna.

2)

And this will be understood by prefacing what is stated in the Midrash,

that the manna was a food of hunger.

For the explanation of “And He caused you to hunger… the manna” is that “He caused you to hunger” refers to “the manna,”

that the manna caused you to hunger.

And the concept is,

that manna alludes to Aggadah

[as it is written,

“And it was like coriander seed, white,” and it is stated in the Mechilta, “like an Aggadah that draws a person’s heart,”]

which is

the innerness of the Torah.

And as explained in many places,

that “bread from the earth” is the revealed aspect of Torah,

and “bread from the heavens”

(manna)

is the innerness of the Torah.

And since in the innerness of the Torah there is only knowledge of existence and not comprehension of essence,

therefore,

the study of the innerness of the Torah is connected with hunger

(in the manner of “hunger to hear the word of G-d”)

to attain the essence.

And on a deeper level, it can be said that what the Midrash states, that the manna is a food of hunger,

the intention in this is

(not only that the manna does not negate hunger in the person who eats it,

but also)

that the manna itself is a food of hunger.

And this will be understood by prefacing that the above explanation, that “bread from the earth” is the revealed aspect of Torah and “bread from the heavens” is the innerness of the Torah,

is in general,

but in particular,

these two matters

(“bread from the earth” and “bread from the heavens”)

exist also within the innerness of the Torah.

And the concept is,

it is stated in Tanya

that in the study of the innerness of the Torah there are two matters.

That it is a “lofty mitzvah”

and exalted, and that it brings to a perfect heart.

And it can be said,

that the study of the innerness of the Torah, since it brings to a perfect heart,

because it pertains to the matter of clarifications

(clarification of the emotions),

is similar to “bread from the earth,”

and the primary matter of “bread from the heavens” is in the study and knowledge of the innerness of the Torah in its own right.

And it can be said,

that the distinction between these two modes of study is also in the level of the intellect.

For the study and knowledge of the innerness of the Torah in order to come to a perfect heart is in the intellects that are related to the emotions,

and the study and knowledge of the innerness of the Torah in its own right is in the intellects that are above the emotions.

And based on this, it can be explained that the manna is a food of hunger,

for the matter of satiety

(in the matter of intellect)

is that it grasps the intellect,

therefore,

the knowledge and comprehension of the intellects related to the emotions

(“bread from the earth” within the innerness of the Torah)

which is grasped in a person’s intellect in actual comprehension and grasp

(therefore this comprehension also affects his emotions)

is a food that satisfies,

and the knowledge and comprehension of the intellects that are above the emotions

(“bread from the heavens,”

manna)

which is in a manner of wondrous concealment and is not grasped

(so much)

in a person’s intellect,

is a food of hunger.

3)

And it can be said,

that the distinction between the two interpretations of “food of hunger”—

that it does not negate hunger in the person, and that the food itself is a hunger that is above grasp

(even though the knowledge that causes hunger in the person is also because it is above his comprehension)—

is,

that this knowledge is on the level of intellect that is relative to the emotions,

except that it is above them,

and therefore it causes in the person

(whose essence is emotions)

hunger and thirst to attain the matter.

And the knowledge that itself is a level of hunger,

is on the level of intellect that is above the emotions

(as above, section 2),

therefore,

it is a level of hunger in essence relative to the emotions.

And when this level is revealed within the emotions,

they are in a state of self-nullification.

And this is analogous to the distinction between Chochmah and Binah,

that through the comprehension of Binah,

when the contemplation and comprehension is in the wondrous concealment of the Ein Sof that is above worlds,

it brings to a great love

(in yearning and thirst),

there is one who loves,

and through the vision of Chochmah he comes to awe,

self-nullification.

Nevertheless, even this level of manna is called a “food of hunger,”

for the refinement that comes through eating the manna is that the person who eats the manna is utterly nullified,

and through this he becomes

(like)

a vessel to receive vitality from a light that is not proportionate to him.

And this is analogous to the matter of “to give them life through hunger”

of Yom Kippur,

that the hunger of Yom Kippur is a level of essential, imperceptible delight that is above eating and drinking

[and as is known,

that the reason Yom Kippur is forbidden in eating and drinking is because on Yom Kippur there is a revelation of essential, imperceptible delight],

and the matter of “to give them life through hunger” is that on Yom Kippur they receive vitality from this delight.

4)

And this can be connected with the statement of the Zohar32

on the verse33

"See that the L-rd has given you the Shabbat,"

Rabbi Chezkiyah opened, "A Song of Ascents, from the depths (mima'amakim) I called You, etc."34

For "depths"

(in the plural)

are the depth of all (omka d'chula) and the depth of the well (omka d'beira),

and my master, my father, the Baal HaHilula (the Rebbe Rashab) wrote in the margin of his copy of the Zohar35

(which was in captivity for several years,

and recently they were redeemed

(his Zohar together with other books of his)

from captivity and arrived here),

that the connection of this interpretation of "from the depths" to "See, etc., the Shabbat" is,

that the depth of all and the depth of the well are Chochmah and Binah,

from which the flow is drawn to all six middos of Zeir Anpin

("springs flow and stream to bless everything"36).

And this matter relates to "See that the L-rd has given you the Shabbat,"

for Shabbat is the seventh day, which is Binah37

(the depth of the well),

within which Chochmah is clothed

(the depth of all),

and from it the six days are blessed38,

the six sefiros of Zeir Anpin.

And the Baal HaHilula continues,

that this is what is written39

"And you shall call the Shabbat a delight (oneg),"

"Oneg" is an acronym for Eden (Eden), Nahar (River), Gan (Garden)40,

Eden and River are Chochmah and Binah

(the depth of all and the depth of the well),

and from them the flow and blessing are drawn to the Garden,

Malchus.

And this is that Malchus is called Shabbat41,

for Shabbat is the letters Shin (Sh) and Bas (Bais-Tav)42,

Shin has the numerical value of "depths" (ma'amakim), which is Eden and River,

and Bas is Malchus

(Garden)

into which the flow and blessing are drawn from Eden and River,

the depths.

And it needs to be understood,

that at the beginning of the matter it speaks of drawing the flow from Chochmah and Binah

(the depths)

to the six middos of Zeir Anpin,

and afterwards it explains that this is "And you shall call the Shabbat a delight,"

the drawing from Eden and River to the Garden,

Malchus.

And one can say the explanation of this

(in the service of man),

that "depths" in the plural are the two matters mentioned above in the "food of hunger,"

the depth of the well

(Binah)

is the knowledge that causes hunger,

and the depth of all

(Chochmah)

is the knowledge that is itself hunger in relation to man,

and the two matters of Zeir Anpin and Malchus are two levels in the intellect of man,

as it is abstracted

(somewhat)

from his existence

(Zeir Anpin)

and as it is within his limitations

(Malchus).

And the drawing of the depths into the intellect of man

(through his self-nullification)

is in both of his levels,

even within his limitations,

that the matters of the inner dimension of the Torah, which in themselves are above intellect, are drawn into the intellect,

in actual comprehension43.

And one may add,

that the primary revelation of the depths is in Malchus.

For the six middos of Zeir Anpin are

(only)

blessed from the seventh day,

and Malchus

(in addition to the fact that the flow from Chochmah and Binah is drawn into it,

also)

is itself called Shabbat.

And moreover,

that in Shabbat

(which refers primarily to Binah)

there are also the letters Bas,

meaning that the primary matter of the Shin

(depths)

is when it is drawn into Bas,

Malchus.

And one can explain this in the service of man,

that it is in the manner of the known principle44

that through the dissemination of the wellsprings outward, the essence of the wellsprings is revealed.

5)

And behold, from the two aforementioned matters in the manna of Pnimiyus HaTorah – a hunger that is beyond comprehension and nevertheless it is a food of hunger – these two matters were channeled down into the literal manna.

And the explanation is,

that the reason the manna was a daily portion

[which is why it is written about it "And He afflicted you and caused you to hunger,"

for one who has bread in his basket is not comparable to one who does not have bread in his basket],

is,

that the definition of the world is

(place and)

time45,

and manna is above the world,

above the definition of time,

and therefore,

even after it was drawn into the world,

it had to be renewed each day46.

And this is "one who has bread in his basket is not comparable to one who does not have bread in his basket,"

for bread from the earth, and likewise all the flows that are drawn into the world,

since it is not apparent in them that they are renewed each day47,

it appears to a person that they are in his basket,

but the manna, in which it was visibly apparent that it is renewed each day from above,

is not in the basket of man.

And likewise48

it is regarding the fact that it contained all tastes within its taste

(the second reason for the hunger of the manna),

for in a limited thing it is impossible for it to contain all tastes

(and especially since among the tastes there are also opposite tastes),

and that the manna contained all tastes is because even when it was drawn downward it was "bread from the heavens,"

a G-dly matter that is above the limitations of the world.

And this is "he would see nothing and eat,"

for the limited eye of man could not grasp the boundlessness of the manna,

and therefore he did not see even a simple food,

in the manner of a place of great light that is unbearable – where vision becomes confused.

And behold, that the manna is a food of hunger is when the person is a [separate] existence,

but when he is in self-nullification to G-dliness,

the primary pleasure and delight is from the influence in which it is felt that it is not in the person's basket, and is drawn from the Holy One, blessed be He.

And through his self-nullification he is a vessel to receive the unlimited influence,

he sees and eats.

6)

And based on this, it can be explained that the text of the blessing for food

(about which it is written "and you shall eat and be satisfied and bless")

is about the manna,

for the true concept of satiety

(and wealth49)

is in the manna,

when one feels that the influence given to him is not in his basket

(of the person)

but is constantly influenced from above

(like the manna, in which it was visibly apparent that it was renewed each day).

And it is within the capacity of every single Jew to come to this feeling.

And especially according to the known [teaching]50

that sustenance in this time

(in the time of exile)

is in the manner of the influence of the manna.

And through this feeling, he is a vessel to receive the unlimited influence of the manna.

And as the saying of our sages, of blessed memory:51

An empty vessel holds [content]; a full vessel does not hold.

For when he is [a separate] existence,

and especially when he thinks that the influence given to him is in his basket

(a full vessel),

he does not hold even the limited influence of bread from the earth,

and by his being an empty vessel,

he holds also the satiety and wealth of the manna,

and all the influences of children, life, and sustenance are drawn to him in a manner of abundance.