English translation — מאמר ועתה ישראל תשל"ז

B"S.

20 Menachem-Av 5737*

"And now, Israel, what does Hashem your G-d ask of you but to fear [Him]..."

And it is brought in the Gemara:

It was taught: Rabbi Meir would say, "A person is obligated to recite one hundred blessings every day, as it is said, 'And now, Israel, what does Hashem your G-d ask of you.'"

Do not read "mah" (what) but rather "me'ah" (one hundred).

And it may be said

that the reason for this, that they expounded "do not read 'mah' etc.," is

because according to the simple interpretation, an explanation is needed:

Why does the verse state this matter

(that Hashem your G-d asks of you only to fear, etc.)

in the style of a question and answer,

for ostensibly it should have said, "Hashem your G-d does not ask of you anything but to fear, etc."

Therefore they expounded: Do not read "mah" but rather "me'ah."

And it is known

in the general principles of the study of "do not read,"

that it does not negate the plain meaning of the matter as it is read, but rather adds another interpretation,

and the two interpretations are connected to each other.

And one must understand the connection and relationship between "mah" and "me'ah."

And particularly since the difference between the two interpretations is

(not only in this word itself,

but)

also in the entirety of the verse.

For according to its simple meaning, it is that He asks for nothing but fear,

but according to the Gemara's interpretation,

"mah"

(one hundred blessings)

is the thing that Hashem your G-d asks of you.

B)

And it is explained in many places regarding the study of "do not read,"

that the interpretation according to its simple meaning is through the content of the interpretation that the Sages expounded.

Based on this, the language "do not read" will be understood, which implies negating the simple interpretation,

for the intention in this is

that it is impossible for this interpretation to exist except through the expounded interpretation.

Based on this,

in our case – "Do not read 'mah' but rather 'me'ah',"

that through "me'ah" one comes to "mah."

And one must understand,

for the word "mah" indicates that the matter

(being discussed)

is a small thing,

and in the language of the Gemara

"a minor matter,"

whereas "me'ah" is

a large number, even the completeness of number,

so that in order to reach completeness, much work is needed

[and likewise it is also regarding the one hundred blessings in their simple sense,

that in order to recite one hundred blessings every day, even on Shabbos and Yom Tov

(and similarly on a fast day),

special effort is required],

and how can they say that in order to come to "mah"

(a minor matter)

it is specifically through "me'ah"

(the matter of completeness that comes through work).

3)

And this will be understood by prefacing what is brought in Midrash Tehillim on the verse,

"One thing I asked of Hashem..."

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Dovid,

"At first you say, 'One thing I asked'

(...)

'that I dwell in the House of Hashem,' and afterwards you ask several things: 'to behold the pleasantness of Hashem' and 'to visit His Sanctuary,' etc."

And Dovid answered, "From You I learned:

At first You did not come upon me

except with one thing, as it is said, 'And now, Israel, what does Hashem your G-d ask of you but to fear,' and afterwards You opened upon us many commandments, as it is said, 'to walk in all His ways and to cleave to Him,' etc."

And it needs to be understood,

for seemingly Dovid's answer "From You I learned" does not resolve the statement "One thing I asked,"

but rather it says that the question is about the Holy One, blessed be He,

that at first He says "but to fear" and afterwards He opened with many commandments.

And the Maggid explained,

that Dovid requested only one thing alone,

for the detailed matters

("to behold the pleasantness of Hashem" etc.)

are branches of "that I dwell in the House of Hashem."

And similarly regarding "What does Hashem your G-d ask of you but to fear,"

the detailed matters

("to walk in all His ways" etc.)

are branches of "to fear Hashem your G-d."

But,

according to this, it needs to be understood from the other side,

behold this matter

(that there are general matters from which many details branch)

is understood simply,

and why is it necessary to learn this from the Holy One, blessed be He?

And the point of the explanation in this is,

that the intention here in "one thing alone" is the essential point that is above general and details.

For this is what Dovid said, "One thing I asked,"

"One" is Yechidah,

the intrinsically singular,

that is not in the category of division into details

(as is known the distinction between Yachid and Echad).

And similarly regarding "to fear Hashem,"

for the explanation of "to fear Hashem"

(for the word "et" indicates something that is only secondary)

is that he has no existence of his own at all,

and his entire matter is only that he is secondary and nullified to Hashem.

And also according to what is explained in Tanya,

that "What does Hashem your G-d ask of you but to fear Hashem your G-d" refers to lower fear,

behold it is known,

that all the levels of fear are related to each other.

And also the self-nullification of lower fear is from the essence of the soul.

And as is known the distinction between fear and love,

that love, because it is a state of existence, is from the revelations of the soul,

and fear, because it is self-nullification, is from the essence of the soul.

And this is "From You I learned,"

for in order to connect the details with the essential point that is above general and details,

there is need for learning and empowerment from the Holy One, blessed be He.

And the connection of the essential point with the details is in two ways.

First,

in a manner from below to above,

that through the details one reaches the point.

And as it is written,

"And Hashem commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Hashem,"

that through the fulfillment of the commandments

(the 613 particular commandments)

one comes to fear Hashem.

And second,

in a manner from above to below,

that from the point details are drawn and branch forth,

and in a manner that even after the details have been drawn,

the essential point that is above the source of the details shines within them.

4)

And based on this, we can explain what they said, "Do not read 'Mah' but rather 'Me'ah,'

"Mah" is self-nullification, like "and we are what (mah)"

[And it can be said,

that this is that the term "Mah" indicates the smallness of the thing

(as above in section 2),

which is similar to what is said, "You are the smallest of all the nations," that they make themselves small],

and it is the essential self-nullification that is from the essence of the soul.

And the explanation of "What (Mah) does Hashem your G-d ask of you" is that Hashem your G-d asks of you the self-nullification of Mah.

And from this self-nullification all the details enumerated later in the verse branch forth,

including also "to fear Hashem."

For despite the fact that also the self-nullification of fear is from the essence of the soul,

and this self-nullification is the essential point from which the subsequent details branch

("to walk in all His ways" etc.),

nevertheless,

since the self-nullification is in the form of fear,

whose matter is

(like all the emotions)

the feeling that he is afraid,

it is included in the revelations of the soul,

but the self-nullification of Mah is essential self-nullification.

Like the self-nullification of mesirus nefesh

that is in every Jew,

from the Mah within him,

which is above all the faculties including even the faculty of will,

for that he gives his life is not from his will but because he cannot be separated, G-d forbid, from His Oneness.

And this is "What (Mah) Hashem your G-d,"

that the self-nullification of Mah is because Hashem

(He)

is your G-d, your strength and vitality.

For since Divinity is his vitality,

it is not applicable at all that he should be separated, G-d forbid, from Divinity.

5)

But,

the self-nullification of Mah that exists in every Jew is in concealment.

And this concealment is not only because of the animal soul that conceals and hides it,

but also from its own side it is hidden,

because it is above revelation.

And in order for it to be revealed,

about this they said, "Do not read 'Mah' but rather 'Me'ah.'

For Mah and Me'ah are two extremes.

Mah is an essential point that is above the category of details,

and Me'ah is a multitude of details up to the greatest multiplicity.

And in the soul of man, it is the ten faculties, each of which is comprised of ten.

And through the service in the particular faculties

(Me'ah),

the point of Mah is aroused and revealed.

And this is "Do not read 'Mah' but rather 'Me'ah,'

for Mah from its own side is above revelation – "Do not read"

(reading is revelation),

and its revelation is through the service of Me'ah.

And moreover,

the revelation of Mah

(that is brought about through the service of Me'ah)

is in a general manner and is also felt in the particular faculties.

And it can be said that this too is hinted at in "Do not read 'Mah' but rather 'Me'ah,'

for when the revelation of Mah is only in a general way,

then,

the revelation is only regarding the Mah

(that was initially in concealment and afterwards was revealed from its concealment),

and this is "Do not read 'Mah' but rather 'Me'ah,'

that the reading and revelation of Mah needs to be not only regarding the Mah but also in the particular faculties,

Me'ah.

6)

But still, one must understand,

what is the connection of "What does Hashem your G-d ask of you" specifically to one hundred blessings.

And this will be understood by prefacing what is said

(at the beginning of the verse)

"And now, Yisrael,"

specifically "and now,"

and the Tzemach Tzedek explains

that "and now" refers to the days of our years in this world,

and analogous to what is said at the conclusion of the previous portion,

"which I command you today to do them,"

and our sages said,

"Today to do them, and not tomorrow to do them."

For although the fulfillment of the mitzvos will also be in the days of Moshiach

(and on the contrary,

then specifically it will be "as the commandment of Your will"),

nevertheless,

the fulfillment of the mitzvos in the manner of "to do them,"

"doing" from the term meaning subjugation,

is specifically today,

for in the future it will be "and the spirit of impurity I will remove from the land,"

and consequently there will not be the service of subjugation.

And this is "And now, Yisrael,"

Yisrael is from the term "for you have striven with G-d,"

the domination over all the concealments and veils that derive from the name Elokim,

even to the concealments and veils of the animal soul and the evil inclination that entice a person to do the opposite, G-d forbid,

and the concept of Yisrael is that he dominates over the desires of the animal soul,

and even to "and you will prevail."

For at first they oppose and he dominates over them

(subjugation),

and afterwards "and you will prevail,"

meaning he vanquishes them

(transformation).

And this is "And now, Yisrael,"

that specifically now, when the existence of the sitra achra is present, he is called by the name Yisrael, from the term "for you have striven... and you will prevail,"

subjugation of the sitra achra and transformation of the sitra achra,

unlike in the future,

since "the spirit of impurity I will remove from the land,"

they will not be called by the name Yisrael

(striven)

but by the name Yeshurun,

or by the name

(other)

"which the mouth of Hashem will designate,"

as explained at length in the discourses of the Tzemach Tzedek.

And it says "And now, Yisrael, what,"

that even now when the existence of the sitra achra is present,

and even in the time of exile and even in the footsteps of Moshiach

(the actual "now"),

it is within the power of every single Jew to dominate over all obstacles and hindrances and to vanquish them

("for you have striven... and you will prevail"),

it is from the aspect of the Mah within him,

the level of Yechidah.

For since the level of Yechidah has nothing opposing it,

therefore,

by arousing the Yechidah within him,

he has the power now to dominate over all opponents and vanquish them.

And this is what our sages said,

"Yisrael, even though he sinned, he is Yisrael"

[meaning not only Yaakov but also Yisrael,

the name of superiority],

for in every single Jew,

even when he has sinned,

the Yechidah is in perfection

[and as per the well-known ruling of the Rambam,

that every single Jew,

even when his inclination overpowers him to nullify a mitzvah

(even to the point that in order to fulfill the mitzvah he must be compelled by gentiles),

he wants to do all the mitzvos],

and therefore he is Yisrael,

meaning he has the power to be "for you have striven... and you will prevail."

And what they said,

"Who is a fool? One who loses what is given to him,"

and it is brought in Likkutei Torah

that it refers to the Mah in the soul

[for since

he is a fool,

he does not fight against the spirit of foolishness that enters him,

he loses, G-d forbid, the Mah within him],

the intention in this is,

that the Mah within him is in a state of great concealment.

And it is also understood from the language "Who is a fool? One who loses etc.,"

that it is analogous to a lost object,

that even after it is lost it is in perfection,

only that one must find it,

and by searching properly — he will surely find it.

And this is "What does Hashem your G-d ask of you,"

that Hashem your G-d asks and requests from you

(from every single Jew)

that the Mah within him be revealed.

That he should not, G-d forbid, lose the Mah that is given to him,

and even if he has lost it, G-d forbid — to search until he reveals the Mah through doing teshuvah.

And it emphasizes "from you,"

that the revelation of the Mah will be specifically through his own service.

For even when the arousal of teshuvah comes through the proclamations that are proclaimed from above,

or through various causes being brought about for this, as it is said,

"He devises plans so that the outcast shall not be cast away from Him,"

behold this is only the preparation for teshuvah,

but the teshuvah itself is done specifically through his own service,

"from you."

7)

And behold, that "What does Hashem your G-d ask of you" is specifically now

("today to do them"),

even though the perfection of the fulfillment of the mitzvos

("as the commandment of Your will")

will be specifically in the days of Moshiach,

it is,

in order that there be the service of subjugation of the sitra achra and transformation of the sitra achra

(meaning Yisrael),

for specifically through this is completed the intention that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling place for Himself in the lower worlds.

And even though the ultimate perfection will be specifically in the future

(as above),

behold the ultimate perfection of the future is that then there will be the revelation of the Essence of the Ein Sof in this physical world,

the lowest level beneath which there is no lower,

and this perfection is accomplished through our deeds and our service now,

specifically through the refinement and purification of the world as it is now.

And for this purpose the soul descended below,

that the primary intention in this is not for the sake of the ascent of the soul that is brought about by the descent,

but rather in order to refine and purify the body, the animal soul, and one's portion in the world,

for through this there will be the revelation in this physical world and the intention of a dwelling place in the lower worlds will be completed,

as all this is explained at length in Tanya.

8)

Now, since the intention of the soul's descent below is to make the world a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He,

it is therefore understood

that this matter

(making the dwelling place for Him, blessed be He)

is a primary matter in its standing and condition.

For when it does not fulfill its mission and function, G-d forbid,

even if it has the most sublime revelations,

the essential thing is lacking.

And on the other hand,

by fulfilling the intention of a dwelling place in the lower realms,

a great and wondrous elevation beyond measure is effected within it.

Based on this, it will be understood that the service of the "Mem-Hei" (the hundred), through which the revelation of Mah is effected, is the hundred blessings that pertain to the refinement and purification of the world

(as will be explained),

even though the revelation could seemingly also be achieved through service in the particular powers of the soul,

to walk in all His ways, etc.,

for the perfection of the soul,

even the Mah within it,

is specifically through fulfilling its function and mission.

And this is "And now, Israel, what [does the L-rd your G-d ask of you?],"

that through the Mah of the soul, he performs the service of Israel

(subjugation of the sitra achra and transformation of the sitra achra)

"now,"

for through this he fulfills the intention for which he was created,

specifically through this,

it is the ultimate elevation

(also)

of the Mah within him.

9)

And this is [the meaning of] "A person is obligated to recite one hundred blessings every day,"

for the matter of blessings is that there should be a drawing down of the revelation of G-dliness not only to Israel, but that through them, the revelation of G-dliness will be drawn into the world.

And as we say in the formulation of the blessings, "Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the world,"

that there should be drawn

(Blessed)

the revelation of Havayah to Israel,

"our G-d,"

and through this, the revelation will be drawn into the world,

"King of the world."

And within the worlds themselves,

the drawing down through the blessings is

(primarily)

to the lower worlds.

And as it is stated,

"Blessed be the L-rd, G-d of Israel, from the world and until the world,"

that it should be drawn from the concealed world to the revealed world.

For the "concealed world"

refers to the upper worlds, which are nullified to G-dliness,

like fish in the sea that are covered and nullified to the water,

and the "revealed world" refers to the lower worlds,

and particularly this physical world,

which appears as an independent entity and separate thing,

and the matter of the blessing is that the revelation of G-dliness should be drawn also into the lower worlds, even into this physical world.

And since everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He did not create a single thing in vain,

and everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He created only for His glory,

it is necessary to draw the revelation of G-dliness into every thing in the world,

so that it will be felt within it in a revealed way that it was created for His glory, blessed be He.

And this is the matter of the hundred blessings,

for "hundred" is the greatest multitude

[as is known,

that the totality of letters are in three categories: units, tens, and hundreds],

for multitude refers to particulars,

and the matter of the hundred blessings is that the revelation of G-dliness should be drawn into all the particulars of the world.

And one may add to this based on what is known

regarding the matter of the numbers: units, tens, hundreds,

that sometimes it is explained

that the larger number is above,

and the more it is drawn downward,

the number diminishes

(hundreds in Keter and units in Malchus).

And sometimes it is explained

that above is the number of units,

and the more it is drawn downward,

the number increases

(units in Keter and hundreds in Malchus).

And the explanation of this is known,

that these two modes are in lights and vessels.

For in lights,

the larger number is above,

and in vessels, the larger number is below.

Based on this, one may add explanation regarding the number of one hundred blessings,

for among the distinctions between the concealed world and the revealed world is

that in the concealed world, the primary aspect is the lights, and in the revealed world, the primary aspect is the vessels,

and since the matter of the blessings is the drawing down from the concealed world to the revealed world

(as above),

meaning that the matters of the concealed world

(lights)

should be revealed also in the revealed world

(vessels),

therefore one must recite one hundred blessings,

to draw the multitude of lights of the concealed world into the vessels of the revealed world.

And this extends until it is drawn into the multitude of creations of this physical world,

for the matter of "How great are Your works, O L-rd"

(the division into a multitude of particulars)

is primarily specifically in this physical world.

10)

And 4)

And this is "And now, Israel, what does Hashem your G-d ask of you?" Do not read it as "Mah" (what) but rather as "Me'ah" (one hundred),

so that in order for the service of one hundred blessings to be possible,

to draw down a multiplicity of lights from above

(a multiplicity in quality)

into the multiplicity of created beings below

(the multiplicity of division into details),

it is through the "Mah" that is in the soul,

for "Mah" is an essential point that is above the category of number

(in which the concept of multiplicity does not apply,

nor even multiplicity in quality).

And through the service of one hundred blessings,

through this very thing, the "Mah" within him is revealed.

Moreover, since the purpose of the soul's descent below,

including also the descent of the "Mah" of the soul,

is to draw down a revelation of G-dliness into the world

[as it is now,

"now" (atah),

through the service of Israel, on account of the verse "for you have striven with G-d and with men and have prevailed"],

therefore,

by a person fulfilling his role and mission,

an elevation is also brought about in the "Mah" within him74.

And since we are already at the end of the time of exile,

and every Jew has already completed the service of "the day to do them,"

for the Torah promised that Israel will ultimately repent at the end of their exile75

— behold, they are immediately redeemed75,

with the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach,

for then the intention of a dwelling place in the lower realms will be completed,

that there will be a revelation of G-dliness in this physical world and in all its details,

and Israel

[who drew down the revelation into the world]

will be on an even more elevated level76,

and all this — speedily, truly, immediately.