English translation — מאמר כימי צאתך תשי"ב

B"S"D.

Acharon Shel Pesach 5712*

"As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders"1,

and it needs to be understood:

Behold, the future redemption will be much loftier than the redemption of the Exodus from Egypt

[therefore,

according to the opinion of Ben Zoma2,

we do not mention the Exodus from Egypt in the days of Moshiach.

And also according to the opinion of the Sages2

who do mention the Exodus from Egypt in the days of Moshiach,

because there is an advantage in the Exodus from Egypt even relative to the future redemption,

[nevertheless] the redemption of the Exodus from Egypt will be secondary to the future redemption2],

and what is the meaning of its saying "As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders,"

[implying] that the superiority of the future redemption is that even then there will be "I will show him wonders" as it was in the Exodus from Egypt.

Also, it needs to be understood that it specifies "I will show him wonders,"

[meaning] that the main advantage of the future redemption is not in the wonders themselves that will be then, but in that the Holy One, blessed be He, will show the wonders.

Also, it needs to be understood its saying "I will show him" in the third person,

behold, at the beginning it says

("As in the days of")

"your exodus" in the second person,

and it should have said "I will show you."

And what is said in the Zohar3,

that what is said "I will show him" in the third person is because "I will show him" refers to Moshe,

requires explanation of the connection of this interpretation with the simple interpretation that "I will show him" refers to Israel.

And the point of the explanation of this is,

that in miracles there are

(generally)

two types.

Miracles that are above nature

[like the miracles that were in the Exodus from Egypt,

the turning of water to blood etc., and up to the miracle of the Splitting of the Sea, when the sea was turned into dry land],

and miracles that are clothed in the ways of nature.

And within them themselves there are two manners.

[There are those where] the garments of nature are in a manner that it is recognizable that they are only a garment for the miracle that is clothed within them.

Like the miracles of Chanukah and Purim,

that despite their being clothed in the ways of nature,

nevertheless the miracle within them was recognizably revealed

(and even "all the ends of the earth saw"4)

[the miracle within them].

And [there are those where] the garments of nature conceal the miracle that is clothed within them5.

And it is known6

that the source of miracles clothed in nature is from a place loftier than the source of miracles that are above nature.

And the source of miracles that are clothed in nature in a manner that it is not even recognizable that the garments of nature are only a garment is from a place even loftier7.

As it is written8

"To Him Who alone does great wonders," and our Sages, of blessed memory, said9

"Even the beneficiary of the miracle does not recognize his miracle,"

[meaning] that the source of these wonders

(where the beneficiary of the miracle does not recognize his miracle)

is from the aspect of "alone"10.

And this is the novel point in this, that in the future redemption there will be "I will show him wonders,"

for the wonders of the future redemption will be drawn from Him, blessed be He, alone,

as our Sages, of blessed memory, said11

"In the past

(in the Exodus from Egypt)

I and My court were going before them, but in the future to come, I alone [will go]."

For the miracles that were in the Exodus from Egypt were drawn from Him, blessed be He, through His court, and the miracles of the future redemption will be from Him alone

(not through His court)12.

And this is the novel point of "I will show him wonders,"

that although the wonders that are drawn from Him, blessed be He, alone are

(generally)

in a manner that He alone knows that this is a miracle,

nevertheless, there will be "I will show him wonders,"

[meaning] that the miracle within them will be seen in revelation.

2)

Now, the precise point is known

regarding what is written, "as the days of your going out from the land of Egypt,"

"days" being plural,

yet the Exodus from Egypt occurred on a single day

[and regarding the remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt it is written, "Remember this day on which you went out from Egypt,"

"so that you remember the day of your going out from the land of Egypt"],

so why is it said "as the days," in the plural?

And one may offer the explanation of this,

that the Exodus from Egypt also includes the Splitting of the Sea.

[And so it is regarding the commandment to remember the Exodus from Egypt every day,

that it also includes the remembrance of the Splitting of the Sea.

And likewise regarding the commandment to recount the Exodus from Egypt on the night of Passover,

that whoever expands upon recounting the Exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy,

for the recounting of the Splitting of the Sea is also included in this.]

Therefore it is said, "as the days of your going out from the land of Egypt,"

"days" in the plural.

[And what is written in the commandment to remember the Exodus from Egypt, "the day of your going out from the land of Egypt," is

because the essence of the commandment to remember the Exodus from Egypt is the remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt itself, and the remembrance of the Splitting of the Sea is not indispensable.]

And the interpretation of "as the days of your going out from the land of Egypt I will show him wonders" is,

that in the future redemption there will be the miracles and wonders that occurred in the Exodus from Egypt itself, and also the miracle and wonder of the Splitting of the Sea.

As it is written,

"And Hashem will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea... and there will be a highway... as there was for Israel on the day of their ascent from the land of Egypt."

And one must understand the connection of these two matters in "as the days of your going out from the land of Egypt I will show him wonders,"

that even the wonders drawn from Him, blessed be He, alone will be in a manner of "I will show him"

(that they will see the miracle within them),

and that in the wonders that will be in the future redemption there will also be the wonder of the Splitting of the Sea.

3)

And this will be understood by prefacing,

that the root of miracles clothed in nature is from a more elevated place than the root of miracles that are above nature,

that is,

for in miracles that are above nature,

the revelation of Ein Sof, blessed be He, which is above worlds

(from which the miracles are drawn)

is in a manner that nature is nullified by the revelation,

through the overturning of the natural order,

and consequently,

the revelation is not drawn into the world.

But in miracles clothed in nature,

the revelation of Ein Sof, blessed be He, which is above worlds, is within the world itself.

And since the world itself is limitation,

and limitation and the limitless are two opposites,

therefore,

in order for the revelation of Ein Sof, blessed be He, to be within the limitation of the world,

it is through the drawing down of the limitless from the Essence of Ein Sof, which is present in every place, even within the limitation

(and nature)

of the world.

And there is further explanation of the superiority of miracles clothed in nature over miracles above nature,

that the concept of miracles is that through them it is revealed that He, blessed be He, rules and dominates over nature.

And this concept is revealed more in miracles clothed in nature.

For the revelation of His dominion, blessed be He, through miracles above nature is that He has the power to nullify and overturn the laws of nature,

but in miracles clothed in nature it is revealed that Ein Sof rules and dominates over nature itself,

that nature should be according to His will.

4)

And the explanation of the difference between the two explanations of the superiority of miracles clothed in nature,

will be understood by prefacing what is said in the Akeidah,

that even from the conduct of nature one can know the greatness of the Creator.

For in addition to the fact that through contemplation of the conduct of creation

(the movement of the constellations, etc.)

one comes to recognize that there is a Master of this palace,

behold, through contemplation of the fact that the conduct of nature is constant without change,

and in the language of the verse,

"they shall not cease,"

that although it has been nearly six thousand years, nevertheless there is no weakening in the natural conduct,

[and likewise from the fact that throughout all this time no weakening has occurred in the power of the creations,

for that the host of heaven endures as individuals and the host of earth endures as species is in a manner that they are as strong as on the day of their creation],

through this one knows the greatness of the Creator,

that His power, blessed be He,

(from which the influence comes into the world)

is infinite and limitless.

For although the nature of creations is from the G-dly vitality that is clothed within them,

and that each creation has its particular nature is according to the manner of the vitality within it,

from which it is understood that the vitality clothed in the creations is limited vitality,

behold, this is regarding nature itself,

but the constancy in the conduct of nature,

that there is no change or weakening in it,

is through the power of the infinite, limitless One, which is above clothing.

However, in order to know the greatness of the Creator through the conduct of nature,

contemplation is required.

But when one sees a miracle,

a change in nature,

one sees immediately

(even without contemplation)

that this comes from Ein Sof, who is not limited by the boundaries of the world.

And there is a further superiority in miracles over the conduct of nature,

that the power of the infinite, limitless One that is revealed through the constancy in the conduct of nature

(even after contemplation)

is clothed in the matter of limitation,

for the conduct of nature

(limitation)

has no change or cessation,

but through miracles, the revelation of Ein Sof, the limitless One Himself, which is above clothing in limitation, is drawn down.

Nevertheless,

for this very reason,

there is a superiority in the revelation of the power of Ein Sof that is revealed through the constancy in the conduct of nature over the revelation of Ein Sof through miracles.

For the matter of the limitless as it is revealed through miracles,

the overturning of the world's nature,

is not connected to the world,

but through the constancy in the conduct of nature,

it is revealed that even the vitality of the world

(limitation)

is connected with Ein Sof, the limitless One.

And this can be explained based on what is stated in the Continuation of 5666,

that this aspect of continuity in the conduct of nature

(although nature is from the Divine vitality that is clothed within the creations,

and the vitality clothed within the creations is limited vitality,

as mentioned above)

is because the root of the vitality clothed within the creations is

(not from the vessels,

but rather)

from the light of the line (kav),

whose root is from the Ein Sof that preceded the tzimtzum.

And as explained in many places

that the root of the vessels is from the tzimtzum itself,

and the root of the line (kav) is from the Ein Sof that preceded the tzimtzum

(except that it is drawn down through the tzimtzum),

as stated in Etz Chayim

that after the tzimtzum, He drew down from the Ein Sof a single straight line from the light of its circle.

And behold, it is known

that this that the line (kav) pierced the darkness of the tzimtzum,

and every piercing is due to intensity,

is because the root of its drawing down is from the hidden delight,

which is above the light that shone

(in revelation)

before the tzimtzum.

And based on this, it can be explained that this superiority in the revelation of the power of the Ein Sof that is revealed through the continuity in the conduct of nature, relative to the revelation of the Ein Sof through miracles,

is,

because the light before the tzimtzum is limited in the aspect of the boundless,

and it is impossible for its revelation to be within the boundary of the worlds.

Therefore,

the revelation of the encompassing light

[which is the revelation of the light before the tzimtzum]

from which the root of miracles derives,

is through the overturning of nature,

the nullification of nature

(boundary)

of the world.

And the light of the line (kav), from which comes the continuity in the conduct of nature,

since its root is from the hidden delight,

it includes and connects the two opposites of the boundless and boundary.

Therefore,

the revelation of the boundless

(eternity)

that comes from the light of the line (kav) is also within boundary

(nature).

e)

And behold, based on the above

(section d)

that even the continuity in the conduct of nature is through the drawing down of the revelation of the Ein Sof, the boundless, which is above the worlds,

and the superiority of miracles is that through them is drawn down the revelation of the Ein Sof, the boundless itself, which is beyond being clothed in boundary,

it can be said,

that the two types of miracles,

miracles above nature and miracles clothed in nature,

are two modes in the revelation of the Ein Sof, the boundless, which is beyond being clothed in boundary.

And based on this,

that which was stated above

(section c)

that the superiority of miracles clothed in nature is that the revelation of the Ein Sof, the boundless, becomes clothed within the boundary of the world itself,

is,

that in miracles there is also the aspect and superiority of the conduct of nature,

and the superiority of miracles clothed in nature regarding the aspect of the miracles themselves

(revelation of the Ein Sof, the boundless, which is beyond being clothed)

is,

that in them it is revealed that this Ein Sof, the boundless

(which is beyond being clothed)

rules and dominates over nature in such a way that even nature itself becomes according to His will

(the second explanation in the aforementioned section).

And similarly, this is also regarding miracles above nature,

that the superiority of these miracles is also that the miracles are in revelation, and also that this—that the Ein Sof, the boundless, rules and dominates over nature—is revealed more

(in one particular aspect)

in miracles above nature.

For in miracles clothed in nature,

where nature remains in existence,

the dominion of the Ein Sof over nature is

(only)

that the manner of nature's conduct is according to His will,

and in miracles above nature,

where nature is nullified from its existence,

the dominion of the Ein Sof over nature is over its very existence.

And it can be said,

that the difference between the types of miracles in their root is,

that in miracles clothed in nature, it is a revelation of the Ein Sof, the boundless, as it relates to and gives place to boundary.

Therefore,

relative to the revelation of this light,

the existence of nature

(the boundary)

exists, except that the boundary is according to the will of the Ein Sof, the boundless.

And in miracles above nature, it is a revelation of the Ein Sof, the boundless, as it is above the aspect of boundary,

therefore,

relative to the revelation of this light,

nature is nullified from its existence.

[And analogous to what is explained elsewhere

regarding the matter of will and intellect

[for will and intellect are a parable for the encompassing light

(the root of miracles)

and the filling light

(the root of nature)],

that this that the will is drawn into the intellect and acts upon it so that there will be a reason for the will,

is only the illumination of the will,

but the essence of the will is not drawn into the intellect,

there is no reason for the will].

However, nevertheless, there is also an advantage in miracles that are clothed in nature,

for specifically in these miracles, the dominion of Ein Sof over

(the manner of)

nature itself is revealed.

And it can be said,

that the difference between the two types of miracles is analogous to the difference between the bittul of Yichuda Ila'ah and the bittul of Kabbalas Ol.

For this, that with regard to the revelation of Ein Sof, blessed be He, nature is nullified from its existence

(miracles that are above nature)

is analogous to the bittul of Yichuda Ila'ah

(bittul in existence)

which comes through the contemplation that everything before Him is considered as nothing,

And this, that nature remains in its existence and nevertheless the manner of its conduct is

(not according to the laws and properties of nature,

but rather)

according to His will, blessed be He

(miracles clothed in nature)

is analogous to the bittul of Kabbalas Ol,

for although he remains in his existence, and even [to the extent that] "a servant prefers to be free,"

nevertheless, his actual conduct is not according to his own will but according to the will of the Master.

6)

And it is known,

that the advantage in the bittul of Yichuda Ila'ah is that the bittul is in his entire existence

(so that there remains in him and with him no matter that is not nullified,

and unlike the bittul of Kabbalas Ol, where the bittul is only regarding actual deed),

and the advantage in the bittul of Kabbalas Ol is in the bittul itself,

that it is a true bittul, not connected to the existence of the person.

For the bittul of Yichuda Ila'ah,

since the bittul is through one recognizing and feeling that everything before Him is considered as nothing,

the bittul is connected to the existence of the person

(his cognition)

and is not a true bittul,

and the bittul of Kabbalas Ol,

where one accepts upon himself to fulfill the command of G-d even when the command is against his will,

in the manner of a servant who is compelled to fulfill the will of the Master,

since the essence of this bittul is not to take his own existence into account,

this is a true bittul.

And it can be said that this is analogous regarding miracles clothed in nature,

for although the bittul of nature to Ein Sof in these miracles is only regarding the manner of nature's conduct and not regarding its essential existence,

nevertheless,

since from the perspective of the laws and properties of nature there is no place for the conduct of nature to be in a miraculous manner,

and the change

(the miracle)

that is made in the conduct of nature is because Ein Sof rules over nature and conducts nature according to His will,

the bittul of nature in these miracles is a true bittul.

7)

And based on this, it can be said that the innovation of "show us wonders" that will be in the future,

is that even the miracles that are clothed in nature will be in a manner of "show us wonders"

(that they will see the miracle),

this is also regarding the miracles

(wonders)

themselves.

For that which now nature conceals the miracle within it is because nature

(even when a miracle is clothed in it)

is the opposite of the miracle.

And as mentioned above

(section 5)

that the change

(the miracle)

that is made in nature is contrary to the laws and properties of nature.

Therefore,

miracles that are above nature are more revealed.

And that in the future there will be

(also)

the miracles clothed in nature in a manner of "show us wonders"

(that they will see the miracle within nature),

this is,

because in the future,

there will be an elevation of nature,

that even nature will be a vessel for the revelation of the Ein Sof blessed be He that will be clothed in it.

And therefore even the miracles clothed in nature will be revealed.

And this is that the innovation of "show us wonders" that will be in the future is in the seeing of the wonders and also in the wonders themselves,

for the miracles clothed in nature now are in a manner that even after the revelation of the Ein Sof blessed be He that is revealed in the miracle,

there remains an entity

(nature)

that in its essence is the opposite of the revelation of the light of the blessed Ein Sof

(except that the revelation of the light of the blessed Ein Sof rules over it so that its actual conduct will be according to His will, blessed be He).

And in the miracles clothed in nature that will be in the future,

there will be both virtues.

That the revelation of the Ein Sof blessed be He will be within nature,

and there will not be an entity that is the opposite of the revelation of the blessed Ein Sof,

since even nature will be a vessel for the Ein Sof blessed be He.

8)

And one can connect this with the known concept42

that in the future the soul will be nourished from the body.

For now the body is nourished from the soul, and in the future the soul will be nourished from the body.

For although even then there will be a physical body, nevertheless it will be nourished from G-dliness and will not need physical eating and drinking,

and moreover, the body will be superior to the soul.

And the explanation is,

that the nullification of the body to G-dliness reaches a higher level than the nullification of the soul43.

For that the soul is nullified to G-dliness,

since it is spiritual,

its nullification is connected with its own existence.

And when one effects

(through service)

nullification in the physical body,

this nullification is

(not from the aspect of the body's existence,

but rather)

from the aspect of G-dliness.

Except that now,

the nullification of the soul is a nullification of existence, and the nullification of the body is a nullification of the ego44.

And in the future,

in the nullification of the body there will be both virtues.

That the nullification is from the aspect of G-dliness and that the nullification will be in its entire existence.

And therefore in the future the soul will be nourished from the body.

9)

And it can be said,

that this is also among the explanations of that which the revelations of the future to come depend specifically on our deeds and service during the time of exile45,

for the essential concept of self-nullification is primarily in the service that is during the time of exile.

For in the self-nullification that existed during the time of the Holy Temple,

since there was then perception of G-dliness and, at their level, even sight of G-dliness46,

the existence of the person who perceived and saw was also felt,

but during the time of exile,

and especially in the generation of the heels of Moshiach,

the service is with the self-nullification of accepting the yoke,

and the self-nullification of accepting the yoke is not from the perspective of the person's existence but from the perspective of G-dliness.

And this is what is explained in the discourses of our Nesi'im47

in the explanation of the verse48

"And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man on the face of the earth,"

that primarily this was because of the generation of the heels of Moshiach,

for which concealments and veils are great,

and nevertheless they stand with immense strength and learn Torah and fulfill mitzvos with self-sacrifice,

therefore

(in the language of the discourse49)

Moshe Rabbeinu fell down before them.

For the self-nullification of Moshe,

and "we are nothing"50,

is the self-nullification of the lower unity,

and the service of the generation of the heels of Moshiach is with the self-nullification of accepting the yoke and self-sacrifice,

and self-nullification in existence falls down before the self-nullification of accepting the yoke and self-sacrifice.

And this is that the revelations of the future to come depend specifically on our deeds and service during the time of exile,

for the primary innovation in the revelations of the future to come is that then the superiority of the drawing down of the light of the Unlimited into nature and the physical body will be revealed,

whose self-nullification is not from the perspective of their existence but from the perspective of G-dliness,

and this revelation is through the self-nullification of accepting the yoke and self-sacrifice during the time of exile.

10)

And this):

Now, even though the miracles that were in the Exodus from Egypt were above nature,

and the concept of "I will show him wonders"

[the clothing of miracles in nature and that nevertheless the miracles are revealed]

will be only in the future redemption,

nevertheless,

according to the known principle51

that the opening of the channel of all redemptions,

also of the future redemption,

was in the redemption of the Exodus from Egypt,

it can be said,

that also in the Exodus from Egypt there was the concept of "I will show him wonders."

Except that this concept was then in concealment.

And in the future it will be in revelation.

And this is "As the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt I will show him wonders,"

for the verse compares the wonders that will be in the future redemption to the wonders that were in the Exodus from Egypt,

even though the miracles and wonders of the future redemption will be from Him, blessed be He, alone

(not through His court,

as were the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt)52,

for in the Exodus from Egypt the channel was opened and there were then in concealment also the wonders of the future to come.

And the verse is precise: "As the days of your going out from the land of Egypt,"

"Days" is plural,

that this includes also the miracle of the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds, which was on the seventh day of the Exodus from Egypt

(as above, section 2),

in order to emphasize that in the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds the channel was opened, and included within it in concealment also the splitting of the sea that will be in the future

("And Hashem will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt," etc.),

and even more than this—also the splitting of the river that will be in the future

("And He will wave His hand over the river, etc., and strike it into seven streams").

For although the splitting of the river is higher than the splitting of the sea,

for the splitting of the sea is the connection of Atzilus and BY"A, and the splitting of the river is the connection of the worlds

(Atzilus and BY"A)

with the Ein Sof blessed He, who is above Atzilus,

nevertheless,

in the splitting of the sea that occurred at the Exodus from Egypt, there was included in concealment the splitting of the sea of the future and also the splitting of the river of the future.

And it can be said,

that the connection of the two matters is "I will show him wonders,"

that in the wonders that will be in the future redemption there will also be the wonder of the splitting of the sea and the splitting of the river

("as the days" is plural)

and that the miracles clothed in nature will be in the manner of "I will show him,"

that is,

that in the future, nature will not conceal the miracles clothed within it, because then there will be the connection of the Ein Sof blessed He with the limitation of the nature of the world,

and this connection is through the splitting of the sea and the splitting of the river.

And the verse explains,

that this—that in the future there will be "I will show him wonders"

(regarding the two matters mentioned above)

is "as the days of your going out from the land of Egypt,"

that the opening of the channel for this was at the Exodus from Egypt.

10)

A)

And it can be said,

that what the verse adds

(after it says "And He will wave His hand over the river, etc.")

"and lead them with shoes,"

is,

that just as

shoes, simply, are made from coarse leather,

and in order for the coarse leather to be fit to make a shoe from it

(a garment for the feet of a person)

it is by softening the leather from its hardness,

for the leather as it is in itself

(before they soften it),

being hard and coarse, it is impossible to bend it,

and specifically by softening it from its hardness, then it is possible to bend it and make from it the form of a shoe,

so too is it in spirituality,

that the matter of "and lead them with shoes" is that he treads upon the nature of his body and his animal soul,

whereby he softens them from their hardness, so that they are not hard as a cedar but soft as a reed.

And this is that "service" (avodah) is from the term "processing of hides" (ibud orot),

for the essence of the matter of service is that a person battles with his nature,

as explained in Tanya

regarding the matter of "one who serves G-d."

And through this, refinement is achieved

(not only in the nature of the person,

but)

also in the nature of the entire world,

for this is the matter of "one who serves G-d,"

"Elokim" has the numerical value of "haTeva" (nature),

that processing and rectification are done in the entirety of nature, which derives from the name Elokim.

And this is "And He will wave His hand over the river, etc., and lead them with shoes,"

that this—that in the future there will be the connection of the nature of the world with the Ein Sof blessed He, who is above worlds—

the preparation for which is the splitting of the river,

is through the service in the manner of acceptance of the yoke,

where one subjugates himself against his nature.

10)

2)

And based on all the above, we can explain what is said in the Zohar,

"I will show him"

(wonders)

—the third-person language refers to Moshe,

for the redemption of the Exodus from Egypt was through Moshe.

And according to the above, that in the redemption of the Exodus the channel was also opened for the future redemption,

it follows

that Moshe opened the channel for the wonders that will be in the future redemption.

However, even so, this was with him in concealment.

And this is the meaning of "As in the days of your exodus from the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders,"

that in the future, the wonders that he opened in the Exodus from Egypt will be revealed to him.

Also, it can be said

that this "I will show him"

(wonders)

—the third-person language refers to Moshe,

is an instruction to every single Jew,

that in order to merit seeing the wonders of the future, it is through the revelation of the aspect of Moshe within him.

For although the self-nullification of Moshe is a self-nullification of absolute non-existence, nevertheless, the drawing down of the matter of "I will show him wonders" is through the self-nullification of acceptance of the yoke

(as explained in section 9),

nevertheless,

in order for the drawing down to be in revelation

("I will show him")

there must also be the self-nullification that stems from revelations

(through contemplation that everything before Him is considered as nothing,

and the like),

and through this there will be "I will show him wonders,"

that the wonders of the future will be in revelation,

with the coming of Mashiach our righteous one, speedily and truly.