English translation — מאמר עשרה שיושבין תשמ"ב

With the help of Heaven.

13 Tammuz,

5742*

"Ten who sit and engage in Torah, the Shechinah dwells among them... even five... even three... even two... even one"1,

and the Rebbe, my father-in-law, the leader of the generation, the Baal HaGeulah, explains in his maamar beginning with the words "This was given" for the first celebration of Yud-Beis Tammuz

(the year 5688)2,

that although3

even one who sits and engages in Torah

(and certainly two, three, and five)

draws down a revelation of G-dliness

("the Shechinah dwells"4),

nevertheless,

the drawing down through Torah study of many

(ten5)

is a loftier drawing down6.

For just as regarding prayer, our sages, of blessed memory, said7

"The prayer of the many is not rejected," as it is stated8

"Behold, G-d is mighty and does not despise,"

for the many, in their prayer, draw down the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy9,

so too is it regarding Torah,

that through Torah study of many, a revelation of a higher light is drawn down.

And the explanation of the expression of our sages, of blessed memory, "the prayer of the many"

[and in the maamar he uses the term "many" also regarding Torah],

even though it speaks regarding ten

[and the term "many" also applies to less than ten,

and on the other hand,

even ten is not the completeness of "many,"

for there is a greater multitude10],

is to be understood,

with an introduction:

that the reason that a matter done in the presence of ten Jews is the greatest public display

(and we do not find a distinction regarding public display between ten and more than ten)

is,

because ten Jews are11

analogous to and include the ten types of Israel

("your heads, your tribes... until the hewer of your wood and the drawer of your water"12),

and public display before ten Jews is like public display before all of Israel.

And this is that ten Jews are called by the name "many"

(simply),

the greatest multitude, than which there is no greater multitude.

2)

Now, it is explained in Tanya

that the advantage of ten is in all matters of Torah and mitzvos,

for there is nothing holy in less than ten.

Nevertheless,

the primary advantage of ten is in prayer.

For the advantage of communal prayer is that it is desirable and accepted always,

and since the request of prayer is that the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfill his request,

the advantage of communal prayer over individual prayer is not that in communal prayer an additional matter is added,

but rather,

this pertains to the prayer itself.

Based on this, it can be said,

that what is stated in the maamar, that the advantage in Torah of many is analogous to the advantage of communal prayer,

the intention in this is

(also)

that the advantage in Torah of many is in an essential matter.

At first glance, one could explain this,

that since Torah is only acquired in a group,

it is understood,

that when Torah study is in a larger group,

the Torah is acquired more.

And since the perfection of a group is in ten,

for ten Jews are an example of and include all ten types of Israel,

as mentioned above,

therefore,

when Torah study is in ten,

the acquisition of Torah is in perfection.

But this explanation is insufficient.

For the aforementioned advantage in Torah of many is in the person engaged in Torah,

that when he studies in ten,

his acquisition

(that he acquires the Torah and receives it)

is in perfection.

And the parallel of Torah by many to communal prayer is in the drawing down.

As is explicit in the maamar,

that just as the many in their prayer draw down the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, so too, through Torah by many, a higher light is drawn down.

3)

And in order to explain the advantage of the drawing down through Torah of many,

the maamar prefaces,

that Rabbi Yishmael says

that the Torah is expounded by thirteen rules, through a kal vachomer and a gezeirah shavah, etc.

And he explains,

that through each and every rule

(of the thirteen rules by which the Torah is expounded)

new matters are revealed.

And the reason for this is,

that the thirteen rules by which the Torah is expounded correspond to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.

And according to the teaching of the Maggid,

that when Moshe said, "El, please heal her please,"

where the name El is the first attribute

of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,

the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him a kal vachomer,

"And if her father had but spit in her face, etc., a kal vachomer for the Shechinah,"

the first rule of the thirteen rules by which the Torah is expounded.

And the maamar adds,

that this is also the connection of the two interpretations of "He who pastures among roses,"

"Do not read shoshanim (roses) but sheshonim (who review) in the laws,"

and "Just as a rose has thirteen leaves, so too the Congregation of Israel has thirteen attributes of mercy,"

and the connection of the two interpretations is

that through the study of Torah

(that they review in the laws)

the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are drawn down.

And this is that through Torah of many a higher light is drawn down,

for this, that through Torah study the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are drawn down, is

primarily specifically through Torah study by many.

And one must understand what is said at the beginning of the matter, that through the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded, new matters are revealed.

For seemingly,

the connection of the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded to what was discussed above—that through the Torah of the many a higher supernal light is drawn down—

is,

that these thirteen principles correspond to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,

and the drawing down of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is primarily specifically through the study of Torah in public,

and what relevance is there here that through the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded, new matters are revealed?

And one may explain this as follows:

The difference between Torah and prayer is,

that prayer is when a person requests and prays, and the drawing down from Above

(that the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills his request)

is accomplished through the prayer,

but not so with the occupation of Torah,

since the Torah that one learns is the word of G-d

(which exists even before the person's occupation with Torah),

therefore the effect accomplished through the occupation of Torah is seemingly that the Torah and the Ein Sof clothed within it be drawn down to the person.

And based on this, one could say,

that the superiority of the Torah of the many over the Torah of an individual is

(primarily)

only in regard to the person engaged in Torah study.

For although the discourse states that the superiority of Torah in public is

(not only in the person's reception,

that the Torah is acquired by him more,

but also)

in the drawing down from Above

(as above, section 2),

that through the study of Torah in public a higher supernal light is drawn down,

nevertheless, one could say,

that the entire matter of Torah study is that through the study, the light of the Torah

(which exists even before the study)

shines to the person who studies it,

and through the study of Torah in public, a more elevated light is revealed to the person.

And therefore the discourse brings that through the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded, new matters are revealed.

For just as prayer draws down a new will,

"May it be His will"31,

so too with Torah,

through the study of Torah according to the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded, new matters are revealed.

And the reason for this is,

for the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded correspond to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,

which are above the Torah.

For Torah is the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He,

the beginning of the chain of descent,

and the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are above the chain of descent.

And through a person studying Torah according to the thirteen principles, he draws down into the Torah

(the chain of descent)

the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy which are above the chain of descent,

and through this, new matters are drawn into the Torah32.

And this is that through the study of Torah in public, a higher supernal light is drawn down from Above,

for the drawing down of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy through Torah study is primarily specifically through the study of Torah in public,

meaning that the level of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy drawn down through the study of Torah in public is a more elevated level.

D)

And the discourse continues33

with a further superiority in the prayer of the many,

that the drawing down from Above through the prayer of the many is not commensurate with the measure of their arousal from below.

For in addition to the fact that the arousal from below of the prayer of the many reaches a higher level, and therefore draws down a more elevated drawing down,

behold, through the prayer of the many a drawing down is drawn from Above that is not commensurate with the measure of the arousal from below,

nor even commensurate with the measure of the arousal from below of the many.

For this is what our sages, of blessed memory, said34

that the prayer of the many throughout all the days of the year is like the prayer of an individual during the Ten Days of Repentance,

that just as the drawing down through the prayer of an individual during the Ten Days of Repentance is not commensurate with the measure of his elevation

[therefore it is specifically during the Ten Days of Repentance,

because the Ten Days of Repentance are a time of will],

so too is the drawing down through the prayer of the many

(throughout all the days of the year),

which is not commensurate with the measure of the elevation

(nor even commensurate with the measure of the elevation of the many).

And so too with the Torah of the many,

that the drawing down through the study of the Torah of the many is not commensurate with the measure of the study of the many.

And one must understand,

that even in the explanation

(at the beginning of the maamar)

that the arousal of the many draws down a more elevated light,

it explains that the drawing down through the arousal of the many is the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,

for the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are above the chain of descent,

and a drawing down that is above the chain of descent is not commensurate with the arousal,

and nevertheless he adds afterwards

(another matter)

that the drawing down through the many is not commensurate with the arousal of the many.

And the point of the explanation in this,

that the intention in this that he adds that the drawing down through the many is not commensurate with their arousal is,

that the drawing down through the many is not only that the drawing down is greater than the work

[this matter is in every drawing down that is above the chain of descent]

but also that the drawing down is

(primarily)

from the aspect of Above,

in the manner of

an arousal from Above from its own side that is drawn

from a place that the arousal from below does not reach there.

And it can be said that it is in the manner of the matter of "I toiled and I found,"

that the knowledge that comes through toil is in a manner of finding

("I found")

that is not commensurate with the toil,

and there are two modes in this.

The success in knowing and understanding the matter in which he toiled – in the manner of the advantage of the prayer of the many,

that the drawing down is above the chain of descent

(above order and gradation),

but

(only)

from this place to which the arousal reached.

And that the success in knowledge of Torah that comes through a person's toil is in a place in which he did not toil at all,

he toils in this place and his Torah toils for him from another place

– in the manner of the second matter of the prayer of the many,

that the drawing down through the work

(prayer),

is in the manner of an arousal from Above from its own side that the arousal from below

(even the arousal of the prayer of the many)

does not reach there.

Except that nevertheless this drawing down comes about through the prayer of the many,

similar to how also that his Torah toils for him in another place is through the toil of the person.

5)

And it can be said that the distinction of these two matters is also in their root,

in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.

And the matter is,

that the number

thirteen

(the rectifications of the beard)

is twelve with one.

For twelve is the twelve oxen

(in Beriyah),

and the one

(that is added to the twelve)

is the sea that stands upon them

(Malchut of Atzilut).

And higher still,

twelve is the twelve diagonal boundaries in Atzilut,

and the one

(that is added to the twelve)

is above Atzilut.

And it can be said that this that thirteen is above the chain of descent,

is,

that through the one that is added to the twelve,

also the twelve are above the chain of descent.

And it can be said,

that there are two modes

(levels)

in this.

That the one is drawn into the twelve as they are in their place,

for in this manner,

even after the one is drawn into them,

they are a boundary

(diagonal boundaries),

except that through the one that is above the chain of descent being drawn into them, they have an unlimited power.

And another mode,

that the twelve are elevated and included in the one,

through which they exit their limitation and become in a state of without limit.

And it can be said that this is that "one" in gematria is thirteen,

that all thirteen are one.

And it can be said,

that the two matters in the drawing down that comes through the work

(prayer or study of Torah)

of many,

that the drawing down is without gradation

(above the chain of descent),

and that through their work there is also drawn from a place where an arousal from below cannot

(even an arousal from below of many)

arouse there,

corresponds to the two levels mentioned above.

For in the level of thirteen,

where the one is drawn into the twelve,

since twelve is a boundary,

the drawing down from there is through an arousal from below.

But through the one that is drawn into the twelve,

the drawing down is without gradation

(analogous to "I toiled and I found").

And in the level of thirteen,

where the twelve are included in the one and all thirteen are in the thirty-three,

the drawing down from there is analogous to an arousal from above that comes from its own essence.

6)

And one can connect this with the festival of liberation, 12-13 Tammuz,

that on 12 Tammuz

[the birthday of the one who was liberated]

they informed him that an order for his release had arrived,

and the actual release was on 13 Tammuz43.

And it can be said,

that this, that on the twelfth

(of Tammuz)

they informed him about the release,

is the matter of twelve, as the one is drawn into it44.

And since twelve, as it is in its place,

even when the one is drawn into it,

is a boundary,

therefore on the twelfth it was still before the actual redemption.

For the matter of redemption is above measure and limitation

[and particularly according to what is explained in the letter of the one who was liberated

[that came as an introduction to the maamar beginning "Ten who sit"]

that the Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed not only him but also all of Israel,

including even those who are called by the name Israel

(only45)

are designated46.

And to add,

that in this are also included the generations that follow,

for the redemption of 12-13 Tammuz is a continuous action,

that draws redemption for all of Israel throughout all the generations,

redemption regarding their study of Torah and fulfillment of mitzvos, and also redemption regarding their physical matters,

children, life, and sustenance,

that they should all be "at ease,"

above measure and limitation.

And moreover,

that it

(the redemption of 12-13 Tammuz)

is also an introduction and preparation for the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach47,

when there will be the true matter of being above measure and limitation],

and the actual redemption was on the thirteenth, which numerically equals one,

when the twelve are elevated into the one,

above limitation.

7)

And the maamar continues33,

that although Torah is a drawing down from above to below, nevertheless even in Torah there must be work and toil,

and there are two matters in this.

That in order for the study of Torah to be proper, it is through

[the introduction of48]

the work of prayer,

for "anyone who says, 'I have nothing but Torah,' does not even have Torah"49.

And also, the study of Torah itself must be with work and toil.

And in this there are two matters.

The toil in understanding the Torah,

"I toiled and I found."

And the toil in Torah to change one's nature and habit,

as the Sages said50,

"One who reviews his chapter one hundred times is not comparable to one who reviews his chapter one hundred and one times"51,

for then specifically is he called a servant of God.

And we need to understand,

behold, the matter of the arousal from below in Torah is seemingly primarily in the toil that must be in the study of Torah itself,

and the order in the maamar is that at first it explains that in order for Torah study to be proper, there must be the work and toil of prayer, and afterwards it says

(like an additional thing)

that there must be toil also in the study of Torah itself.

And to note,

that also in Tanya52

it speaks of these two matters,

toil in Torah and toil in the service of God in general, the main service being the service of prayer53,

and the order of matters in Tanya is that at first it brings the verse54

"And you shall return and see between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him,"

for on this verse it is stated in the Gemara that one who serves God is one who reviews his chapter one hundred and one times,

changing the nature of habit in Torah study,

and this statement of our sages is the source for what is explained there that also the fulfillment of all the commandments

[and particularly the service of prayer]

must be in this manner.

And from this

(that the order of matters in the maamar is in the opposite manner from the order in Tanya)

it is proven even more that the order of matters in the maamar is intentional.

8)

And this will be understood by prefacing an explanation of the precision

(in the maamar)

"even though Torah is a drawing down from above to below."

For the explanation of this simply is,

that since Torah is a drawing down from above to below,

there is no need for a multitude.

For in prayer, where the drawing down is through the work of the lower being, the work of the lower being must be the work of a multitude,

but not so in Torah, which is a drawing down from above,

there is no difference whether the lower being is a multitude or an individual.

And according to the known55

that the reason that through prayer a new will is drawn down is due to the greatness of the elevation of the raising of the feminine waters,

"the work of Your hands You desire"56,

it can be said,

that the intention in the precision that Torah is a drawing down from above to below is also for the other side,

that since Torah is a drawing down from above,

even through the study of Torah by a multitude it is impossible to have a most elevated drawing down like the drawing down through prayer

[of a multitude].

And based on this we can explain the order of matters in the maamar,

that at first it explains the work and toil of prayer that must be for the sake of engaging in Torah, and afterwards the work and toil in Torah study itself,

for the main work and toil is the service of prayer,

which is therefore called "service" without qualification.

For the matter of service is the change of nature and habit,

and this is accomplished primarily through the service of prayer.

And particularly through the prayer of the standing [Amidah], where the person praying is like a servant before his Master57,

utter self-nullification.

Therefore the maamar precedes the work and toil of prayer that is for the sake of engaging in Torah,

for the work and toil of engaging in Torah

(in and of itself)

does not have the power to draw down a drawing down that is completely beyond measure relative to the work.

And this that through Torah study

(of a multitude)

a drawing down is made that is completely beyond measure relative to the work,

like the drawing down through prayer

(of a multitude),

is primarily through the work of prayer that is for the sake of engaging in Torah.

However, this explanation is insufficient,

for in Torah,

the drawing down that is beyond measure relative to the elevation comes in the knowledge and understanding of Torah,

that his success in knowledge and understanding of Torah is beyond measure relative to his toil,

and therefore there must also be the toil of changing nature and habit in Torah study itself,

for through this,

his study is a vessel for the drawing down that comes through the work of prayer

(that is for the sake of engaging in Torah).

And one may add in explanation of the connection of the one who reviews his chapter one hundred and one times

(the effort of changing nature and habit in the study of Torah)

to the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,

for through the study on the one hundred and first time,

even the study of the one hundred times prior is in a manner of service.

In the analogy of what was explained above

(section 5)

regarding the number thirteen,

that through the addition of the one,

an elevation occurs

(a change or at least an addition)

in the twelve.

9)

And based on this, one may explain that in the teaching of the Maggid of Mezeritch cited in the maamar above, that when Moshe mentioned the name "E-l"

(the first attribute of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy)

the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him a kal vachomer

(the first of the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded),

it is precise that Moshe in his prayer said "E-l, please heal her, please."

For one may say,

that the precision in his prayer is to hint that the primary drawing down of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy that are above the chain of descent is through prayer,

and through this the drawing down comes afterward also in Torah.

And this is also the reason that the matter of drawing down not according to the measure of the elevation through Torah

(of many)

is learned from the drawing down through prayer

(of many),

for the essence

(and source)

of this matter is in prayer,

and through this it is drawn afterward also in Torah.

And to add58,

that this matter

(that through prayer it is drawn afterward also in Torah)

is also hinted at in the two chapters of Tehillim that pertain to the birthday59

of the Baal HaGeulah in this year.

For in Psalm 102

[which relates to the conclusion of the year 102]

it begins with "A prayer of the afflicted" etc., and later in the psalm it says "This shall be written for the last generation" etc.60

which refers to the Torah, which is eternal.

And similarly in Psalm 103

[which relates to the year 103,

beginning from the birthday]

which begins "Bless the L-rd, O my soul," which is a prayer of praise and thanksgiving,

and later in the psalm it says "Bless the L-rd, you His angels, mighty in strength, who do His word, to hearken to the voice of His word"61,

first "who do" and then "to hearken"62,

the precedence of "we will do" to "we will hear," which was the preparation for receiving the Torah.

10)

And 4)

Now, the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov is known,

that everything a person sees or hears is a lesson in the service of G-d.

And the Maggid adds

that everything a person sees and hears, and every occurrence that happens to a person, is for the sake of the service of G-d.

And the explanation of this is,

that even every occurrence is by particular Divine Providence,

and that which is called by the name "chance" is that below, in this world, it is in a manner of chance.

And analogous to what is written,

"If a bird's nest chance to be before you," and our Sages said,

"excluding a prepared one,"

that even though all matters are by particular Divine Providence,

and moreover they are prepared from the prior thought of Adam Kadmon,

nevertheless,

the verse says "if a bird's nest chance to be before you," excluding a prepared one,

for there are matters whose intention is fulfilled when even below they are in a manner of "prepared,"

and there are matters whose intention is fulfilled when below they are in a manner of "chance,"

"if it chance."

And from this it is understood, all the more so, regarding the matters in Torah,

that all its details,

even when they appear externally to be only incidental

(in the manner of chance),

they are instructive.

And based on this, it can be said,

that this—that the attribute of the thirteen attributes of Torah which is drawn from the thirteen attributes of mercy in prayer is the attribute of kal vachomer—is to teach,

that even though the main drawing down of the thirteen attributes of mercy is in prayer, and through this the drawing down also comes in Torah,

nevertheless,

there is an advantage in the drawing down that is in Torah relative to the drawing down that is in prayer,

in the manner of the attribute of kal vachomer,

for even though the stringent is learned from the lenient,

nevertheless,

it is stringent relative to the lenient.

And as is explained in the maamar,

that this—that we learn the drawing down that is beyond the measure of the elevation through Torah of many from the drawing down through the prayer of many—is a study in the manner of "all the more so,"

kal vachomer.

And the matter is,

that the difference between Torah and prayer is analogous to the difference between blessing and prayer.

For in prayer,

the one praying is below and asks that they bestow upon him from above,

and in blessing,

the one who blesses

[he who has the power to bless,

like the kohanim who were given the power to bless]

is above the source from which the blessing is drawn, and commands that the drawing down be to below.

And as the language in the Priestly Blessing, "May the L-rd bless you,"

which is a language of command.

And likewise is it regarding the drawing down of influences through Torah.

For since the crown of Torah is ownerless to all,

behold, it is within the capacity of every single Jew to merit it through engagement in Torah, in a manner that it becomes his Torah

(of the learner),

and he becomes a master, as it were, over the Torah, and all the more so over the drawing down of influences through Torah.

And there is an additional advantage in the Priestly Blessing,

that the flow of the Priestly Blessing is from above the chain of descent.

For blessing in general is to draw down what already exists in the source and not something new,

for in this matter prayer has an advantage over blessing,

that through prayer a new will is created.

And in the Priestly Blessing there are both advantages,

that the flow is from above the chain of descent,

and in the manner of a command.

And likewise is it regarding the flow that comes through Torah,

which has both advantages,

that the flow is from above the chain of descent and in the manner of a command.

And this is the advantage of the flow that comes through Torah

(of many)

over the flow that comes through prayer

(of many),

that the flow through Torah is in a manner that he is the master of the flow.

10)

A)

And behold, even though the Priestly Blessing is a commandment in its own right,

the Sages established it within prayer.

And from this it is understood,

that although prayer is from below to above, nevertheless through prayer one reaches the flow of the Priestly Blessing, which is from above to below.

And based on this, one may add in the lesson of the a fortiori argument,

that just as prayer and the Priestly Blessing,

although they are different matters,

for prayer is a request

(from below to above)

and the Priestly Blessing is a command

(from above to below),

and nevertheless through prayer one reaches the Priestly Blessing,

so too is it regarding Torah and prayer,

that although the flow of the revelation of the light of Ein Sof that is above the chain of descent, which comes through the study of Torah

(in its own right)

is lower than the flow of the revelation of the light of Ein Sof that comes through prayer

(as above in section 8),

nevertheless,

through the study of Torah there is drawn

(afterward)

also the flow that comes through prayer, which is above the flow of the revelation of the light of Ein Sof of Torah.

And one may add,

that this lesson itself is in the manner of an a fortiori argument.

For prayer is from below to above and the Priestly Blessing is from above to below,

and nevertheless through prayer one reaches the Priestly Blessing,

so regarding Torah and prayer,

that even the flow of Torah

(in its own right)

is a revelation of the light of Ein Sof that is above the chain of descent, only that this flow is lower than the flow of prayer,

that through Torah there is drawn also the flow of prayer,

is all the more so and an a fortiori argument.

And it may be said,

that through the fact that Torah is the Torah of the person who engages in Torah, who is the master, as it were, over the Torah,

through this he becomes master also over the level of the flow of prayer that is drawn into Torah.

And this is that the lesson of Torah and prayer is in the measure of a fortiori,

for the flow in prayer that comes through Torah has an advantage over the flow of prayer in its own right.

10)

b)

And one may add,

that through the maamar "Ten Who Sit and Engage in Torah" given by the Baal HaGeulah to be taught on the holiday of the redemption,

he made each person his agent to engage in this matter,

and gave him a special empowerment to succeed in this,

success in establishing public classes,

and success in all the matters

(explained in the maamar)

that are drawn down through the public engagement in Torah.

And all this is in the manner of the Priestly Blessing,

that the drawing down of blessing is in a manner of swiftness,

as explained in Likkutei Torah on the discourse "And behold, the staff of Aharon blossomed... and produced almonds"74,

and through the good almonds of the staff of Aharon, the bitter almonds75

of the three oaths76

will be transformed into joy and gladness,

in the true and complete redemption through Moshiach Tzidkeinu,

speedily in our days, literally.