English translation — מאמר היושבת בגנים תשי"א

With the help of Heaven.

Shabbat Parshat Beshalach,

the 13th of Shevat,

the year 5711*

"She who dwells in the gardens, the companions listen to your voice,"

and with this, the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the Rebbe

(in his maamar

the continuation of the maamar of the histalkus)

brings two explanations that are seemingly opposites.

Explanation one

that "gardens" refers to

this world, and "she who dwells in the gardens" refers to the Congregation of Israel scattered in exile, shepherding in the gardens of others,

nevertheless, when she sits in synagogues and study halls,

then the companions, who are the ministering angels,

who are called "companions" because there is among them neither jealousy, nor hatred, nor competition,

listen to your voice.

And the second explanation

is that "gardens" refers to the Garden of Eden.

And although there are in this countless levels, nevertheless, in general they are divided into two levels: the Lower Garden of Eden and the Upper Garden of Eden,

and "the companions listen" refers to the souls in the Garden of Eden that are called "companions," as explained in the parenthetical maamar

that sometimes a soul

is emanated from a soul, etc.

And one can say the precise point in this,

that it informs us that the connection of souls to each other is not merely a connection, but rather a soul is emanated from a soul,

and the explanation of the matter of emanation was explained above

(in the discourse "I have come to My garden")

that it is a revelation of the hidden,

meaning that it is one thing,

it is the very same thing itself, except that it descended and was revealed from its concealment.

And like the hidden powers that afterwards descended and were revealed from their concealment,

therefore it is impossible to say that the intention in creation is for the sake of the World of Atzilus,

for since it is a revelation of the hidden, this is a descent,

rather, the ultimate purpose is this lower world.

And likewise is it with the connection of the aforementioned souls, which is a matter of emanation and revelation of the hidden.

2)

And to understand the connection between the two explanations,

before this, the maamar explains

that when the soul descends below and becomes clothed in a body,

behold, even though the body conceals and hides,

nevertheless, through service, it removes the concealment and hiding,

and on the contrary, through this descent and clothing, it becomes strengthened with superior power.

And behold, the precise wording "and on the contrary,"

is as explained by the Alter Rebbe

(in Iggeret HaKodesh, section 25)

the words of the Baal Shem Tov

regarding the matter of anger,

such as when an uncircumcised person stands before him

and speaks and confuses him,

behold, not only is he not affected by him,

and prays as if the uncircumcised person were not confusing him,

but even more, it effects in him strengthening and an addition of power when he contemplates the matter of the exile of the Shechinah, which is clothed in a state of exile within this confusing speech.

It is found that through this confusion, the person is aroused more.

And likewise, the Mitteler Rebbe also explains

(in Torah Or,

the matter is in brief, but in Torat Chayim on this parshah

it is explained at length)

regarding the matter of "And it was when Pharaoh sent out the people,"

that the intention in this is that not only did the husk of Pharaoh not conceal and hide,

on the contrary, it even assisted,

as it is written,

"And Pharaoh drew near," and it is brought in the Midrash

that he drew near the hearts of Israel to their Father in Heaven,

and furthermore, "Pharaoh sent out the people" — Pharaoh went along with the people,

meaning that also the sparks that had fallen there ascended with them.

And this is also the precise wording "and on the contrary,"

meaning, not only does the body not conceal and hide the soul, and it remains in its state as if there were no concealment and hiding,

but on the contrary, through the initial concealment,

the person becomes strengthened with superior power.

And this is the primary intention in the creation of the worlds: the subjugation and transformation of the foolishness of the nations and the heat of the animal soul and worldly matters — into holiness.

And even though it is explained in many places that the performance of mitzvos is in order to add lights in Atzilus,

behold, it was already explained above

that the essential point of this is in this lower world.

And as the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Maharash wrote

that the lights as they are in Atzilus are like something placed in a box,

and not only is the primary revelation,

the primary Shechinah,

in this lower world,

and as was explained above

from the Rebbe

(the Rebbe Rashab)

of blessed memory, at length, the explanation of the matter of the primary Shechinah,

behold, even more than this,

the Alter Rebbe explains

and it is also from the Maggid of Mezeritch,

in explanation of the statement of our Sages of blessed memory,

"Know what is above from you,"

"Know that which is above" —

all the matters that are above,

"from you and in you the matter depends."

3)

And this is the matter of “She who dwells in the gardens,”

the souls that dwell in the lower Gan Eden and in the upper Gan Eden,

come to listen to the voice of the souls of Neshama Elokis below.

For the intention in this is that also the souls,

as they are above prior to their descent into a body,

and also those souls that have already been in a body,

who have the advantage that comes from the service of the body,

for at the time they were in the body, “Days were formed”

“and to Him one of them,”

that they drew down the “one of them” and completed all their service, for which reason they are called “Yisrael, the hosts of Hashem,”

(as explained in the maamar of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, mentioned above),

for “host” has three meanings: first, the term “army,”

that is, acceptance of the yoke.

Second, a fixed time, meaning that in the time fixed for them they complete all their service.

Third, the term “beauty,” meaning beauty,

not only will,

but beauty,

which comes from the innerness of the Keter and causes delight,

and for this reason they are called “the hosts of Hashem.”

Nevertheless, even they come to listen to the voices of the souls that are clothed in bodies,

and even if their service is not yet complete,

neither according to the first meaning of “host”—army, which is acceptance of the yoke,

nor according to the second meaning of “host”—a fixed time, days that are complete and not lacking,

nor according to the third meaning of “host”—beauty,

and as it concludes in the maamar,

that when one studies Torah and does not mention conditions regarding the manner of Torah study,

and performs the mitzvos,

and does not mention conditions regarding the manner of performing mitzvos,

it is transformed from “kesher” (connection) and “sheker” (falsehood),

the falsehood of the world,

into “keresh” (plank),

“planks of shittim wood, standing,”

and they connect the light of Ein Sof, blessed be He, with the world,

a transformation from one extreme to the other,

for one of the permutations of “keresh” is “kesher.”

“Kesher” in holiness means connection.

But in the Other Side, “Do not say ‘kesher’ regarding all that this people says ‘kesher,’”

for their matter is separation and division.

But connection in holiness,

behold, they are all called “chaverim” (companions),

“companions who listen.”

That the souls as they are above,

and also the souls that have already been in a body, who have the advantage of service that comes from the body, for they have completed in this world all their service,

in all three meanings of “host” mentioned above,

all come to listen and receive the voices of the souls clothed in bodies, even though they have not yet completed their service,

for even though they are scattered in exile and graze in the gardens of others,

nevertheless, they tear themselves away from the world and take the body and the animal soul with them, and come to synagogues and study halls, and recite the Shema and engage in Torah,

which is the matter of self-sacrifice from the aspect of Moshiach,

and this is possessed only in this world,

and therefore, “companions,”

also the souls that are in Gan Eden,

listen to their voices,

and also the Holy One, blessed be He, says, “I and My retinue come to hear your voice.”

And this is “Days were formed and to Him,”

and it is not written “and to Him” as a reading,

that through their service—the service of the soul in the body,

with the body and through the body,

they draw down from above the chain of descent into below the chain of descent,

“one of them,”

so that “Hashem is One and His Name is One.”