English translation — מאמר ויקרא אל משה תשל"ב

With the help of Heaven.

Shabbos Parshas Vayikra,

3rd of Nissan, 5732

"And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying: 'When a man from among you brings an offering to Hashem...'"

And it needs to be understood,

for to all speeches and all sayings and all commandments there preceded a call, an expression of affection,

so why was the call stated

(explicitly)

specifically in the portion of offerings?

Now, simply it can be said,

that what is written "And He called" in the portion of offerings is

because the beginning of speech from the Tent of Meeting was this portion.

But this itself requires explanation,

that the beginning of speech from the Tent of Meeting was specifically the portion of offerings.

And from this it is implied,

that the revelation of Torah

(the concept of the Tent of Meeting)

is primarily in the laws of offerings.

And it can be said,

that this is also that the book of Vayikra

(the book of offerings)

is the most stringent of the books.

And this is also that it is the third book of the five books of the Torah,

for the virtue of the Torah, that it is the "Third Light"

is more revealed in the laws of offerings of the Torah.

And this is also that this—that for all the speeches of the Torah a call, an expression of affection, preceded—is learned from what is written in the portion of offerings,

for also this virtue of the Torah, its primary revelation is in the laws of offerings.

2)

And this can be explained based on what the Rebbe

(the Rebbe Rashab)

of blessed memory, whose yahrtzeit is on the 2nd of Nissan, said in his maamar beginning "Adam ki yakriv",

that seemingly it should have said "when you bring an offering"

without mentioning who is the one bringing the offering.

And he brings in the maamar,

that it is stated in the Zohar

"Fortunate are Israel that the Holy One, blessed be He, called them 'Adam'... 'When a man from among you brings an offering',

what is the reason He called them 'Adam'? Because it is written

'And you who cling to Hashem your God are all alive today.'"

And based on this he explains what is written "When a man brings an offering"

(specifically "Adam"),

for the power that Israel have

to bring offerings is because they are of the category of "Adam",

that they are attached to the Holy One, blessed be He.

And he continues in the maamar,

that similarly it is stated in the Midrash,

that this that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Israel to bring offerings is because they are attached to Me,

as it is written

"For just as a belt clings to a man's waist..."

And he explains in the maamar,

that the Midrash speaks about the matter of the attachment of vessels,

that vessels are

in the category of existence and unification

(the attachment)

of them is not an essential unification,

like "when a belt clings..." that the belt is an existence unto itself except that it is attached to the person,

and in the Zohar it speaks about the matter of the attachment of lights,

that the attachment and unification of lights is an essential unification,

and therefore it brings the verse "And you who cling to Hashem your God",

actual attachment.

3)

And based on this, it can be said,

that this which at the beginning of the section of offerings it is written "Adam ki yakriv" (When a man offers),

that this that Israel is called "Adam" is because of "and you who cling [to the L-rd your G-d],"

which is the attachment of lights,

it is,

because the power that Israel has to offer sacrifices is

(primarily)

because their attachment to the Holy One, blessed be He, is at the level of the attachment of lights.

And this that is stated in the Midrash, that the offering of sacrifices is connected with the level of attachment

(of the belt)

of vessels,

it can be said,

because the essence of sacrifices is that through them is the sustenance of the world,

[as it is brought in the Yerushalmi18

on the verse19

"To plant the heavens and to found the earth, these are the sacrifices,"

for through the sacrifices the statutes of heaven and earth are sustained20],

except that this power that is in sacrifices is because the one who offers the sacrifices is "Adam"

(who is above the world),

as it is brought in the Zohar21

that what is written "Adam ki yakriv"

[for among the four names Adam, Gevar, Enosh, Ish22,

the name Adam indicates the most supernal level, as it is written23

"And G-d created the Adam in His image"],

is because the sustenance of the upper and lower worlds is through the sacrifices.

Therefore,

also in the service of the man who offers, there must be two matters.

For the matter of the sacrifices themselves is through the service of man at the level of the vessels within him.

[For this that the sacrifices are the sustenance of the world is because they contain all the categories of the four inanimate, vegetative, living, and speaking of the world,

the sacrifices themselves which come from the inanimate, vegetative, and living,

and the man who offers24].

And the power in the sacrifices to sustain the world, because the one who offers them is a man who is separate from the world,

is through the service of man at the level of the lights within him.

And this is that the matter of "Adam ki yakriv" is specifically at the beginning of the section of offerings,

because the sacrifices themselves are from an animal, etc.,

for in this is also included the animal within man,

the animal soul25.

And this is done through the aspect of Ban of the G-dly soul26,

Ban having the numerical value of behemah (animal)27,

which, in general, is28

the soul as it is at the level of vessels.

Except that the power for this is through the aspect of Mah of the G-dly soul,

Mah having the numerical value of Adam (man)29,

which, in general, is28

the level of the lights of the soul,

and therefore the opening of the section of offerings is "Adam ki yakriv."

4)

And it is known30

that Torah and mitzvos are analogous to lights and vessels.

And based on this, it can be said,

that the two levels mentioned above in the attachment of Israel to the Holy One, blessed be He,

are achieved through the study of Torah and the fulfillment of mitzvos.

Through the fulfillment of mitzvos – the attachment of vessels,

and through the occupation with Torah – the attachment of lights.

And based on this, we can connect this with what is brought in Tikkunei Zohar31,

that the three prayers, Shacharis, Minchah, and Maariv, correspond to lion, ox, and eagle,

and the matter of "Adam ki yakriv" is Torah.

And because of this, they instituted in prayer to read from a Torah scroll,

so that there should be in it a complete offering in Adam, etc., "This32

is the Torah, Adam."

And the explanation of this can be said,

that this that prayers correspond to sacrifices33

is corresponding to the sacrifices themselves

[for the matter of prayer is the refinement of the animal soul in the manner of the offering of an animal],

and the matter of "Adam ki yakriv" is Torah, it is the power of Israel to offer sacrifices because they are in the aspect of Adam,

the attachment of lights which is achieved through the occupation with Torah.

And based on this, we can explain that the beginning of speech from the Tent of Meeting was the portion of offerings, because the revelation of Torah is primarily in the laws of offerings

(as above, section 1),

for it is through the offerings that the refinement of the world is accomplished,

and also that through them is the sustenance of the world,

this is through the power of Torah,

"When a man brings an offering" — this is Torah.

And we can connect this with the second day of Nissan,

on which Natanel ben Tzu'ar, prince of Yissachar, offered,

for the fact that he merited to offer second among the tribes is because the sons of Yissachar were knowledgeable in Torah, and because they advised the princes to volunteer these offerings.

For it can be said that these two matters are dependent on each other,

for because they were knowledgeable in Torah,

and the revelation of Torah is in the matter of offerings,

therefore they advised to volunteer offerings.

5)

And one must understand,

behold, Torah is above the world,

and as explained in Tanya

that Dovid was punished for calling words of Torah "songs,"

because Dovid was praising Torah in that all worlds depend on one detail of the details of Torah,

and he was punished for this,

for regarding Torah,

since it is united with Ein Sof, blessed be He,

all worlds are not really significant,

and it is not applicable that the revelation of Torah is in the matter of offerings, which are the refinement and sustenance of the world.

And the explanation of this can be said,

that this — that Torah is above worlds — is Torah as it is in its own essence.

But from the perspective of the root of Torah as it is rooted in the Awtsmoos,

since His essential Self, blessed be He, is not defined, Heaven forbid, by any definition,

not even by this — that all worlds are insignificant before Him,

behold, through His desire to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds,

that He should have gratification and delight from the service of the lower ones,

it is thus also in Torah,

that worldly matters occupy a place, so to speak, regarding Torah.

And based on this, we can explain that Dovid was praising Torah in that the sustenance of all worlds depends on one detail of the details of Torah,

even though Torah is above worlds,

for from the perspective of the root of Torah as it is rooted in the Awtsmoos,

in that He desired to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds and that the dwelling in the lower worlds be through Torah,

this — that the life-force of all worlds depends on one detail of Torah — is the praise of Torah, so to speak.

[And that he was punished for this is because praise pertains to revelation,

and from the perspective of the revelation of Torah,

all worlds are not significant].

6)

And based on this, we can explain what is stated in Tanya39,

after it says that the Holy One, blessed be He, contracted His will and His wisdom and brought them down below,

that therefore the Torah is compared to water40,

for just as water descends from a high place to a low place, so too the Torah descended from its place of honor, which is His will and His wisdom, blessed be He, of which no thought can grasp at all41,

and from there it traveled and descended until it became clothed in physical matters and affairs of this world.

For this requires explanation,

behold, that the Torah descended from above to below is understood even without the analogy of water,

and what is added to the understanding of the matter of the descent of the Torah from above to below by means of the analogy of water?

And we can say the intention in this is,

that just like water,

that they descend from a high place to a low place is because even when they were in a high place they have no connection to that place

(the high place)

where they were found,

and on the contrary, that it is in their nature that they are drawn specifically to a low place indicates their connection, of the water,

(even when they are in a high place)

to the low place,

so too is it with the Torah, which is compared to water,

that this that it descended from above to below is not that its place is above42

and in its descent below it is found not in its place,

but rather,

that its true place

(even when it is above)

is below.

And we can add,

that this is what is said in Tanya there at the end of the chapter43,

that what is written44

"and His right hand embraces me" refers to the Torah, which is the aspect of kindness and water,

that it specifies kindness and water

(even though to explain the reason for this, that the Torah is called His right hand, it would seemingly suffice to say that it is the aspect of kindness),

it is,

because the drawing down from above to below that is in kindness is in a manner that the high place occupies a place.

And like the influence of a man of kindness,

that in this that he influences his fellow

(drawing down)

the kindness of the influencer is felt.

But unlike the drawing down from above to below of water, which is in a manner that they leave a high place and go

(specifically)

to a low place45.

And this is what it adds, that the Torah is the aspect of

(kindness and)

water,

that this that the Torah descended from above to below is in the likeness of the descent of water46

that leaves a high place,

that the essence of the Torah is specifically below.

And as explained elsewhere47

that this that the Torah is in every place,

above and below48,

is the Torah as it is in the aspect of revelations,

but the Torah as it is rooted in the Awtsmoos was given specifically below.

7)

And this is "This is the Torah, man,"

that the Torah is compared to man,

for in man there are two matters.

This that he is called man (Adam) on account of "I will resemble the One above"49,

and this that he is called man (Adam) on account of being formed from the earth (adamah),

as it is brought in the Midrash50

that Adam the first said: I am fitting to be called Adam, for I was created from the earth.

And it is explained in Chassidus51,

that this that Adam the first called his name after the matter

(body)

and not after the form

(soul),

is because Adam the first, in his wisdom, perceived that this that his body was formed from the earth

[inanimate,

and not like other creations whose bodies were from vegetation52],

has in it an advantage also regarding the superiority of his soul,

for everything53

higher, the higher it is, falls lower, the lower it is.

And this is "This is the Torah, man,"

for also in the Torah there are two matters like these.

That this that the Torah is above the world,

to the extent that all worlds are insignificant before it,

is in the manner of the name Adam on account of "I will resemble the One above,"

and this that the Torah descended specifically below, from the aspect that its root is in the Awtsmoos,

is in the manner of the name Adam on account of being formed from the earth, from the aspect that its root is in the higher, the higher it is.

8)

Now, these two matters in the aspect of the water of Torah—

that the Torah descends below, and that specifically through the descent below the root of the Torah is revealed as it is rooted in the Awtsmoos—

are primarily in the halachos of the Torah.

For the matter of halachos is a ruling regarding action—a descent to the very lowest level—

and the root of the halachos is higher than the root of the other parts of Torah,

as explained in the continuation of 5666,54

that "these and those are the words of the living G-d"55

is specifically in the aspect of Elokim,

while halachos are from the Name Havayah, as our sages said,56

"and Havayah is with him"57

meaning the halacha is like him,

for the intent of the Name Havayah here is until the aspect of His Name that is included in His Essence,

the capability of the Essence.

And one may add,

that this—that the aspect of the water of Torah is primarily in the halachos of Torah—also relates to what our sages said,58

that words of Torah are compared to water, for just as water leaves a high place and goes to a low place, so too words of Torah endure only with one whose mind is lowly.

And as explained in the continuation of 5666,59

that in order to determine the halacha in its truth, it is through self-nullification and lowliness.

For this is why the halacha was established like Beis Hillel, because they were pleasant and humble,55

for through their self-nullification they reached the essential concealment.

And based on this, there is room to further explain what was explained above

(section 4)

that the fact that the sons of Yissachar gave advice to donate offerings was because they were knowledgeable in Torah, and the revelation of Torah is in the matter of offerings,

for this—that the tribe of Yissachar offered on the second day and preceded the tribe of Yehudah before him—is due to his self-nullification

[in the manner that Beis Hillel prefaced the words of Beis Shammai to their own words55],

and therefore they merited to determine the halacha in its truth,

as explained in the discourses of the Admo"r Maharash.60

And based on this, one may say,

that this—that their knowledge in Torah brought them to the matter of offerings,

the clarification and sustenance of the world—

is,

because through their engagement in Torah being with self-nullification,61

they reached the essence of Torah as it is rooted in the Awtsmoos,

and therefore it was felt by them that the purpose of knowledge of Torah is to complete the intent of the Awtsmoos,

to make for Him, blessed be He, a dwelling place in the lower realms.

9)

And this is, "And He called to Moshe, and G-d spoke, saying: 'When a man brings an offering...'"

For this, that to all the utterances etc. a call preceded—an expression of endearment—is also a precedence in level,

for the call is above speech.

And it goes so far that it says "Vayikra" (And He called) without specifying who is the caller,

because the call is from the Essence of Ein Sof, which is above Havayah.

Nevertheless,

from the fact that the call was specifically before speech

(even though a call—an expression of endearment—is a matter in its own right,

and not a preparation for speech),

it is understood

that the call also relates to the speech.

And it can be said

that the speeches, sayings, and commandments of Torah are from Havayah,

as it is written regarding all the speeches etc. of Torah

(and also in the speech of this verse)

"and G-d spoke,"

and the call is from the Essence, as above.

And the concept of "Vayikra" and "Vayedaber" (He called and He spoke) is the drawing down and revelation of the Essence

(which is above Torah)

into the speech of Torah.

And in general, it is the drawing down of Torah as it is rooted in the Essence.

And one can connect this with what is written, "Vayikra" with a small aleph,

and according to the teaching of the Alter Rebbe

(who said to the Tzemach Tzedek when he was three years old)

that the small aleph of "Vayikra" indicates the humility and self-nullification of Moshe,

for although he knew his own levels,

nevertheless he did not consider himself important,

and on the contrary, this knowledge brought him to be even more lowly in his own eyes

(as explained there at length).

And it can be said that one of the reasons that the small aleph, which alludes to the self-nullification of Moshe, is in the word "Vayikra,"

is

that through his self-nullification he became a vessel for the revelation of "Vayikra,"

the drawing down and revelation of Torah as it is rooted in the Essence

(similar to what was explained above regarding the matter of Yissachar).

And based on this, it will be understood why "Vayikra" is said in the portion of offerings,

even though a call preceded all the utterances etc.,

because this matter of Torah being rooted in the Essence is revealed primarily in that Torah deals with the laws of offerings,

to refine the world and make it a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He.

And it is known

that in every single Jew there is an aspect of Moshe,

including the self-nullification of Moshe.

And from this it is understood

that the matter of "Vayikra el Moshe" (And He called to Moshe) applies also to every single Jew.

And especially when one studies this verse.

And through this, empowerment is also drawn to him for the service of offerings in a spiritual sense,

and this becomes a close preparation for the service of offerings in its literal sense,

and there it will be done before You according to the commandment of Your will,

in the Third Temple, which will be built speedily in our days,

and very soon.