English translation — מאמר באתי לגני תשל"ח

With the help of Heaven.

Monday, Parshas Yisro,

the fifteenth of Shevat,

the year 5738*

"I have come to My garden, My sister, My bride"1,

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

[whose yahrzeit is on the tenth of Shevat,

and the completion of all the days of the month is on the fifteenth day,

on which the moon stands in its fullness2]

in his well-known maamar beginning with the words "Zeh"3,

it is brought in the Midrash4

that the explanation of "I have come to My garden" is the drawing down and descent of the essential Divine Presence below, to earth.

And this primary drawing down occurred when the Tabernacle was erected,

as it is brought in the Midrash there: "And when did the Shechinah dwell upon it

(on earth)?

On the day the Tabernacle was erected."

And as it is stated5,

"And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary"

(and then)

"and I will dwell in their midst."

And although also at the Giving of the Torah there was a drawing down and descent of the Shechinah below to earth, as it is stated6,

"And the L-rd descended upon Mount Sinai,"

one can say7,

that the essential concept of the drawing down and descent of the Shechinah below to earth is when the drawing down below is in an internal manner

(in a way that the lower is refined and elevated through this8),

and this is specifically when the drawing down is through the service of the lower being,

and therefore it says that the primary drawing down of the Shechinah on earth was when the Tabernacle was erected,

because the drawing down that was at the Giving of the Torah was from the aspect of Above,

and therefore the revelation was only temporary,

and the superiority of the drawing down of the Shechinah in the Tabernacle is that the drawing down

("and I will dwell in their midst")

is through service and action,

"And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary."

And one may add,

that the superiority of the drawing down in the Tabernacle and Temple

(over the drawing down that was at the Giving of the Torah)

is not only from the aspect that the drawing down is through service

(in general),

but also from the aspect that the service of "And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary" is the service of subjugation and transformation

(the transformation of the folly of idolatry into the folly of holiness)9.

For even regarding a drawing down that comes through service,

the drawing down that comes through the service of subjugation and transformation is more elevated than the drawing down that comes through service in matters of holiness10,

because the advantage of light comes specifically from darkness,

for through the darkness being transformed into light, an advantage is produced in the light,

as is explained at length in the maamar11.

2)

Now, it is known that at the Giving of the Torah, the power was given for the entire matter of service.

For although the drawing down that comes through service,

and all the more so through the service of transforming darkness into light,

has an advantage over the drawing down that was

(in actuality)

at the Giving of the Torah,

this very thing—that through service they are able to draw down these influences—

is [empowered] by the force of the drawing down that was at the Giving of the Torah.

And it may be said,

that this—that in the drawing down of the Giving of the Torah there was

(potentially)

also the superiority of the drawing down through service, and also the superiority of the advantage of light that comes from darkness—

is

because the drawing down of the Giving of the Torah was after Yisro said,12

"Now I know that the L-rd is greater than all the gods,"

as it is brought in the Zohar,13

that by Yisro acknowledging and saying, "Now I know that the L-rd is greater, etc.," the Holy One, blessed be He, was elevated and glorified14

in His supernal and lower glory, and afterward He gave the Torah.

And through this

(that the drawing down of the Giving of the Torah was after Yisro's acknowledgment)

an advantage was made

(so to speak)

in the Torah that was given at the Giving of the Torah

(even though it was given from Above)

in the manner of the advantage of light that comes from darkness.

However, at the Giving of the Torah,

since the giving of the Torah was from the side of Above

(and Yisro's acknowledgment was only a preparation for the Giving of the Torah),

the advantage

(so to speak)

in the Torah that was made through Yisro's acknowledgment was only potentially,

and through this the empowerment was drawn down,

that through the service of transforming darkness into light, there will be an advantage in the light

(also)

in actuality.

3)

And based on this, we can explain what is said in several discourses15

that in order to explain why before the Giving of the Torah, Yisro's acknowledgment was necessary,

this will be understood by prefacing what is stated,16

"And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, as the advantage of light over darkness"

[For at first glance this is not understood,

and as the Zohar17 precisely asks,

"Why does it say, 'And I saw'?"

[King Solomon,

the wisest of all men,18]

for does not everyone know that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly?

And the explanation of this is19],

that the intention of "folly"

(here)

is

(not simple foolishness,

but rather)

external wisdoms, which are folly relative to the wisdom of the Torah.

And about this it says, "And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, as the advantage of light over darkness,"

for just as the advantage of light is specifically from darkness,

for by darkness being transformed into light, an advantage is made in the light

(as is explained at length in the discourse series of the Hilula),

so too is it with wisdom

(the wisdom of the Torah)

and folly

(external wisdoms),

that through the refinement and transformation of the wisdom of the Other Side into holiness,

an advantage and addition is made in the wisdom of holiness.

And this is why before the Giving of the Torah, Yisro's acknowledgment was necessary,

for Yisro was a great sage in external wisdoms,

and by Yisro acknowledging that "the L-rd is greater than all the gods," the refinement of the wisdom of the Other Side was accomplished, being transformed into the wisdom of holiness,

and through this an advantage and addition was made in the wisdom of holiness,

higher than it is in its own right.

[And based on this, we can explain what our sages said,20

that the reason he is called "Yisro" is because he added (yiter) a portion in the Torah,

for at first glance, the name "Yeter" is also from the term "advantage" (yitron),

so why was he called "Yeter" before he added a portion in the Torah?

And according to the above, it may be said21

that the name "Yeter"

(from the term "advantage")

by which he was called previously, is due to the advantage and superiority of intellect,

for the advantage and superiority of intellect

(over the emotions)

exists also in the wisdom of the Other Side.

However, in the wisdom of the Other Side,

since it is the epitome of selfhood,

and the fall caused by the intellect of the Other Side is a greater fall than the fall caused by the emotions of the Other Side,22

its advantage is in the manner of what is said,23

"Anything extra is considered as if removed."

But after he converted and added a portion in the Torah, he is called "Yisro" with the addition of a vav,

for a vav alludes to the Torah,24

as it is brought in the Zohar25

that a vav is the letter of truth, and there is no26

truth except Torah,

to indicate that his advantage is

(not in the wisdom of the Other Side, but rather)

in the wisdom of the Torah].

And it is necessary to understand,

that from the language of the verse

(that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly, as the advantage of light over darkness)

it is implied,

that this—that the advantage of light is from darkness

(that through darkness being transformed into light, an advantage is created in the light)—

is a known thing,

and the verse innovates

that likewise it is with wisdom and folly,

that through the refinement of the wisdom of the side of impurity, an advantage is created in the wisdom of holiness.

And explanation is needed,

for ostensibly,

after one already knows that through the refinement of the side of impurity

(darkness)

an advantage is created in holiness

(light),

what is the innovation in this—that there is an advantage to wisdom over folly,

to the point that it says about this "And I saw"

(King Solomon,

the wisest of all men).

And according to the above, it can be said,

that this—that through darkness being transformed into light an advantage is created in the light—applies to the light that comes and is drawn down through service,

regarding which it is possible to say that the service of transforming darkness into light draws down a loftier flow than the flow drawn through service in matters of holiness.

And the innovation of Solomon

("And I saw")

is,

that through the refinement and transformation of the side of impurity into holiness, an advantage is also created in the wisdom of the Torah.

For although the drawing down and descent of the Torah below is a drawing down from its own essence,

from the aspect of Above

[as per the expression "the giving of the Torah,"

a gift from Above,

not from the aspect of man's service],

and also that which a worthy student will innovate through his toil in Torah study was already given to Moshe at Sinai

(and his toil is to reveal

that which was already given as a gift,

a drawing down from Above),

nevertheless,

through the refinement of the folly of external wisdoms and its transformation into wisdom of holiness

[when one studies this wisdom

in order to thereby add knowledge in matters of Torah,

through which this wisdom is refined and included in the Torah],

an advantage is created in the wisdom of the Torah,

higher than it is from its own essence.

And moreover,

that through Yitro's acknowledgment

(before the giving of the Torah)

an advantage was also created in the entire matter of the giving of the Torah.

For although the giving of the Torah was in the manner of a drawing down from Above

[the matters in the Torah that are innovated by the worthy student in each generation,

although the matters themselves were already given at Sinai,

their drawing down from concealment to revelation is through the service and toil of the worthy student,

unlike the drawing down of the giving of the Torah, which was in the manner of a drawing down from Above,

not through service and toil],

nevertheless,

through the refinement and transformation of the wisdom of the side of impurity into wisdom of holiness, which occurred through Yitro's acknowledgment,

an advantage was created

(as it were)

also in the Torah that was given at the giving of the Torah.

And it can be said,

that the advantage

(as it were)

that was created in the Torah through Yitro's acknowledgment is,

that the Torah from its own essence, its matter is a drawing down from Above,

that the service of the lower realm does not reach there,

and certainly the service of transforming the darkness of the side of impurity into holiness does not reach there, for regarding the light of the Torah there is no

(initially)

darkness,

and through this—that the giving of the Torah was through Yitro's acknowledgment—

there was drawn into it the Essence that is beyond the category of above and below,

light and darkness,

and through this it was innovated,

that through service and toil one can innovate in the Torah,

to expound it,

and that through the refinement of the folly of external wisdoms there will be an advantage in the wisdom of the Torah.

D)

And the explanation of the matter

(of the advantage created through Yitro acknowledging that "G-d is greater than all the gods")

in greater depth,

will be understood by prefacing that ostensibly it is not understood,

that according to its simple meaning that the intent of "all the gods" is idolatry,

as Rashi explains on the verse "from all the gods"—it teaches that he was familiar with every idolatry in the world,

what is the superiority in this that he acknowledged that G-d is greater than all the gods?

And the explanation can be said according to what the Rambam wrote

that the beginning of the matter of idolatry is what they thought, that since the Holy One, blessed be He, created the stars and spheres to govern the world and they serve before Him, therefore it is fitting to honor them

[and their error was in this, that they thought that the stars have dominion to influence by their own choice,

and they did not know the truth, that He, blessed be He, influences through them as an axe in the hand of the woodcutter].

And from this it will be understood,

that the negation of the matter of idolatry applies not only regarding stars and constellations but also regarding all levels of the order of the chain of descent

(angels,

Sefiros, etc.)

through which influence is drawn down below.

And moreover,

the more the intermediary is lofty, the more one must negate the error that it is fitting to honor it,

for it is nothing but an axe in the hand of the woodcutter.

And as is also understood from what is brought in the Midrash,

a parable of a king who entered a province and dukes and governors were with him, etc.,

the greater the minister is,

and especially the viceroy,

greater perspicacity is needed to say "I am taking the king."

And this is that Yitro's acknowledgment that "G-d is greater than all the gods" was dependent on his being familiar with every idolatry in the world,

for through his having knowledge and recognition of the entire order of the chain of descent,

even to the most lofty level,

specifically through this

could he have the knowledge

("Now I know")

that "G-d is greater than all the gods."

And it can be said,

that this is also the explanation

(in the inner dimension of matters)

of that which Yisro was a priest of Midyan,

for Midyan is from the term "midon" (strife) and separation,

and the beginning of the matter of separation is

(as it were)

in the subtlety, etc., of the most supernal levels of Atzilus.

As our sages, of blessed memory, said,

"Before the world was created, He and His Name alone existed,"

and it is known that "before the world was created" also includes before it was emanated,

meaning that specifically before emanation, He and His Name alone existed

[that the revelation

(His Name)

was in the ultimate unity with His Essence,

but after emanation

(through the tzimtzum),

the revelation came about in a manner of existence

(relative to the nullification and unity that existed before emanation),

as it were, a matter of strife and separation.

However, that existence came about is from the aspect of the tzimtzum of the Name Elokim,

and since the concealment of the tzimtzum is only relative to us

(i.e., relative to the revelations after the tzimtzum),

and Havayah and Elokim are completely one,

therefore,

even now they are

(in truth)

in ultimate unity as they were before emanation.

And this is that Yisro was a priest of Midyan,

for he had knowledge and recognition of all the levels that were emanated,

except that his knowledge of them was as they are

(from the perspective of the tzimtzum)

in a manner of existence,

strife and separation.

And from this there descended

that he was a priest of Midyan in its simple sense,

and he recognized every idolatry in the world,

idolatry in its simple sense.

And through his having knowledge and recognition of all the levels

(after emanation),

he subsequently came to knowledge and recognition

[and proclamation and declaration]

that "Havayah is greater than all the gods."

5)

And based on all the above, it can be said,

that this superiority that was made in the Torah through Yisro's acknowledgment is that Atzmus was drawn into it

(as in section 3 above),

is because Yisro's acknowledgment "Now I know that Havayah is greater than all the gods" is the knowledge of the wondrousness of Atzmus, which is above revelations

("Havayah is greater than all the gods").

And since his arriving at this knowledge

(of the wondrousness of Atzmus)

came about through the knowledge and recognition that he had

(prior to this)

of all the levels of revelations that were emanated,

therefore,

the superiority in the Torah

(the drawing down of Atzmus)

is in a manner that is relevant to revelations,

the empowerment given to every Jew to "expand it,"

to reveal his portion in Torah,

and as the Alter Rebbe ruled

that each person must attain knowledge of Torah,

and innovate in it,

whether in plain meaning, allusion, homiletic interpretation, or esoteric meaning.

May it be His will that it be so for us,

that each one do as above,

and may we merit to see openly how all of Israel are "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,"

that each Jew will be in a state and condition of a minister

in its simple sense,

for through the resolution to study Torah and fulfill it even when in a state of poverty,

behold, as per the promise of our sages, of blessed memory,

"Whoever fulfills the Torah out of poverty, will ultimately fulfill it out of wealth,"

for when he resolves to study it and fulfill it out of poverty, immediately after the resolution

he studies it and fulfills it out of wealth,

true wealth in both physicality and spirituality together,

and he increases in Torah study in both the revealed and Chassidus,

and study leads to action

— the fulfillment of mitzvos with beautification,

and one brings down Moshiach Tzidkeinu below ten handbreadths, very soon,

and may the Holy Temple be built in its place, and the dispersed of Israel be gathered,

and the kingship be Hashem's,

in the true and complete redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

speedily in our days, literally.