English translation — לך לך א

A.

About that which Avraham said<sup>1</sup>

to Sarah before arriving in Egypt "And it will be, when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife,' and they will kill me, but you they will keep alive.

Say, please, you are my sister, so that it will go well with me for your sake, and my soul will live because of you" - the question is known<sup>2</sup>

: How did Avraham place Sarah in such a situation,

that the Egyptians should take her,

so that <b>he</b> should thereby be saved?

Commentators<sup>3</sup>

explain how Avraham thereby did not transgress any prohibition,

and in the Zohar<sup>4</sup>

it states that Avraham was certain that the merit of Sarah would stand by her and they would not touch her -

But the people are completely not understanding that which Avraham carried out "so that <b>it will be good for me </b>on your account",

what this means,

that because of her saying "my sister you are" they will give him <b>gifts</b><sup>5</sup>

: how is it possible,

that when it speaks about such a serious matter - placing Sarah in such an undesirable situation

(in any case)

in order to prevent

himself from danger of lives - that meanwhile should take place that which he will receive gifts

(until that this is even the first reason for the "say please my sister you are,

<b>so that </b>it will be good for me on your account")<sup>6</sup>?

2.

The Zohar⁷

stands on this and asks "And Avraham, who was a fearer of sin and a lover of the Holy One, blessed be He, said thus about his wife because they would treat me well?" and answers that Avraham "did not rely on his own merit and did not ask of the Holy One, blessed be He, to bring out his merit, but rather on the merit of his wife, that through her he would gain wealth from the other nations, for wealth through his wife a person merits."

(And he explains in detail how through a "wise woman" one "merits everything".)

Afterwards the Zohar continues,

"And he relied on her merit, that they would not be able to harm him and mock her, and therefore he did not give anything⁸

to say 'she is my sister'."⁹

What also in this is perplexing: The main question of the Zohar "And Avraham etc. said thus about his wife because they would treat me well" is indeed,

as above,

how did Avraham place his wife

(Sarah)

in such a situation "because <b>they would treat me well</b>",

and on this

Is the simple answer that by Abraham it was clear "that they could not...

laugh at her",

and therefore "he did not give anything to say she is my sister" - so why does the Zohar say at the beginning of the answer,

that Abraham was confident "that he would gain money through her" and elaborates on this,

and the main point,

that by him it was certain that they would not be able to do anything to her,

does the Zohar bring only at the end?

Further: At the beginning of the answer the Zohar says "he did not rely on his own merit and did not ask from the Holy One, blessed be He, to bring out his merit, but etc." - which seemingly is entirely not relevant to the answer to the question "And did Abraham etc. say thus about his wife in order that they should treat him well".

3.

The explanation in this:

Since the Most High had said to Avraham that through "Lech Lecha from your land etc." he would merit to "And I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you and I will make your name great"¹⁰,

that "And I will bless you" means "with wealth"¹¹

— it was set aside by Avraham that this that the Most High had led thus that Avraham had to go away from the Land of Israel

("from causing him to go out from it"¹²)

and descend "to Egypt",

is

(also)

connected with the fulfillment of the Most High's promise "And I will bless you" which is actualized through "Lech Lecha".

And since he saw in the way of nature a way how it could be carried out

the "and I will bless you" with money in Egypt¹³

- through that Sarah would say that she is his sister¹⁴

- therefore he said "Say please you are my sister so that it will be good for me because of you"; and as it indeed was in practice that

(through that she said thus,

it is)

"And to Abram¹⁵

he did good because of her and he had sheep and cattle and donkeys etc."

And just as this is in its simple sense,

so too is it also in the inner aspect of the matter: through "Lech Lecha" Avraham had to attain an aliyah

(a going)

in spiritual levels,

through refining and elevating the holy sparks in the world.

And the intention was

(also)

in his descent to Egypt — to refine the holy sparks that are found there¹⁶.

And since the matters of Mitzrayim,

whose content is the refinement of the holy sparks of the world,

must generally be done in a natural way¹⁷

— therefore Avraham said to Sarah "Please say you are my sister" so that through this the purpose of his descent into Egypt would be carried out in a natural manner

(the aliyah of Avraham through the refinement of the sparks)

— "so that it may be well with me for your sake."

The question from the Zohar is - according to this manner it will turn out that "the lower one &lt;b&gt;to Him&lt;/b&gt;",

the "yitev"

(the elevation through the clarification of the sparks),

will be only to Abraham and not to Sarah; and on the contrary - Sarah will find herself in the house of Pharaoh

(as it was in actuality - "and the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house"&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;),

although they will not be able to touch her -

So the question: how can one say,

that Abraham should cause such a descent for &lt;b&gt;Sarah&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;b&gt;'&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;

&lt;b&gt;and &lt;/b&gt;

(to be in Pharaoh's house)

because of the elevation&lt;sup&gt;19 &lt;/sup&gt;

that &lt;b&gt;he&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;20 &lt;/sup&gt;

will have from it?

And although by Avraham it was clear,

that the purpose of his descent to Egypt is because of the ascent — "it will be good for me" — there are nevertheless many ways to the Place,

Avraham needed to rely on the Above that this would be carried out in another manner²¹,

but not through the descent of Sarah?

And on this the Zohar answers "not on his own merit..

but on the merit of his wife,

he gained <b>through her </b>money etc. for money <b>through his wife </b>a man merits" — to gain money a man merits through "his wife" — and from this it is understood,

that so it is in spiritual matters: in order that the ascent should be opened through the refinement of the sparks in Egypt

(it is not enough <b>his descent </b>to Egypt,

he cannot rely on his merit,

but it)

must be the merit of his wife; specifically through <b>her descent </b>into the "house of Pharaoh" will one

To elevate the sparks

("Profit <b>because of her</b> from the money of other nations").

And since the purpose of the descent is the ascent that will be brought about through the "wise woman" — Sarah,

it is understood,

that in her merit they cannot <b>harm him</b>

(This will not cause any descent in Avraham)

<b>And mock her</b>

(And no descent in Sarah).

4.

Just as all matters of "Maaseh Avot",

so too is the aforementioned matter a "siman labanim"²²

- a lesson in the service of man in the general descent of the soul into the body in general

(and in particular in the descent into exile),

that Avraham and Sarah allude to the aspects of soul and body

(as is explained at length in the Zohar²³).

That is: In the service of Torah and mitzvot and the refinement of the sparks, there are two general modes: a)

The service is

(mainly)

through the soul,

and it is only that its service is also heard in the body.

b)

The service is done through the body and with the body; the serving person is not separated and isolated from worldly matters,

on the contrary,

he <b>descends</b> from his level and clothes himself in the matters and deeds of this world,

which are "hard and evil and the wicked prevail over him"²⁴,

and there he fulfills Torah and mitzvot and refines the holy sparks that are found there.

In general, this is in the manner explained at length in Chassidus²⁵

the two manners

Avodah of the aspect of "my sister" and the aspect of "my wife",

that these are the two levels in love of G-d that are analogous to the two aspects of love — between brother and sister and between man and woman:

The love that is permitted that exists in every Jew from the side of his divine soul,

which love is natural to their offspring and in it a cessation is not applicable,

is analogous to the love of a brother and sister,

which is a natural love from their offspring and in that love a cessation is not applicable

(not like in the love between a man and a woman,

in which a cessation is applicable through divorce).

But on the other hand,

for this same reason,

because the love of a brother and sister is a natural matter,

in that love there is no longing and consuming of the soul and in it there is no completeness of unity since they are separate bodies.

But not so the love that is awakened in

(and through this)

the refinement of the body and the animal soul,

it is analogous to the love between a man and a woman — that although in this a cessation is possible

(because this is not from the nature of their innate qualities),

nevertheless specifically in this there is the yearning and consuming passion of the soul,

and the union that is achieved through it is a union in the ultimate sense,

until they become

(like)

one body.

And this is the lesson that one has from the conduct of Avraham — that the “sustenance” is through “the merit of his wife”*25

— Sarah: the ultimate and perfection of the ascent of the soul is through this

That "one sends" the body to descend in a manner of enclothing in matters of this world,

in the manner of²⁶

Egypt,

down to the house of Pharaoh.

And since the intention of the descent is the ascent

(through refining the body and the animal soul and its portion in the world)

it is understood,

that "they cannot harm him",

that there is no descent in the soul,

and also "they could not laugh at it" — the body does not become immersed, God forbid, in kelipah,

but on the contrary,

they both become elevated in elevation after elevation.

H.

One must, however, understand: All matters of Torah are indeed with utmost precision,

and since that "he would profit from it money of other nations" — the refinement of the sparks and the ascent of Avraham is from the side of "the merit <b>of his wife</b>",

from the fact that she is <b>his wife</b> — then why is it that the profit

(in actuality)

came through that²⁷

that "say, please, <b>my sister</b> you are"?

And likewise in the spiritual service of soul and body: the main elevation indeed does not come through the aspect of "my sister,"

through the service of the soul itself,

but specifically through the aspect of "wife" — the service with the body,

as above — in what consists the function of "my sister" in service

(and as it is brought in Chassidus²⁸,

that what Avraham said "my sister"²⁹

means the love

<b>natural</b> of the soul,

will one understand this with an introduction of the explanation in that which the Zohar says there³⁰

: "Rabbi Elazar was going to see his father and Rabbi Abba was with him. Rabbi Abba said: Let us say words of Torah and go. Rabbi Elazar opened and said: Say now, my sister, you; this verse is difficult, etc."

(as above).

as above)?

the Father explains in his notes on Zohar³¹

: "He began to expound specifically on this verse because this Abraham said when he went on the way to Egypt with Sarah,

and R. Elazar and R. Abba are analogous to Abraham and Sarah,

for Abraham and Sarah are the aspect of Abba and Imma, etc., and likewise R. Elazar is the aspect of Chochmah and R. Abba the aspect of Binah, etc.; thus their going on the way is analogous to the going of Abraham and Sarah on the way, and Abraham then said: Say now, my sister, you,

therefore R. Elazar also began to expound on this verse."

And one could say,

that it came to teach and was found to be learned: from the content of the matter, as this is by R. Elazar with R. Akiva,

the aspects of Abba and Imma

(Chochmah and Binah),

one will understand in more particularity regarding Avraham and Sarah,

soul and body:

In the order of the sefiros, Binah receives the intellect and comprehension from Chochmah³²,

but specifically through this, that the intellect comes down into Binah in a manner of understanding,

comprehension and explanation,

until into details and details of details³³,

there comes an additional elevation in

The essence of the intellect,

which was not in the intellect itself as it stood in wisdom.

The reason for this is,

because understanding has a higher root in the power of the intellect than wisdom,

and therefore through understanding a novelty in wisdom is opened up.

But that which Binah effects an elevation in Chochmah,

can come specifically after Binah has <b>received</b> the enlightenment from Chochmah,

through which there is revealed in Binah its root which is higher than Chochmah and through this it brings about an elevation in the enlightenment of Chochmah.

And similarly it is regarding a man and a woman — as it is explained at length³⁴

in the matter of "an extra measure of understanding was given to women more than to men"³⁵,

that although the child comes specifically through the influence of the drop from the man,

but the formation of the child is specifically through the woman.

Only, since the virtue in the woman is an intrinsic matter and in concealment,

it can come to revelation only through her receiving the influence from the man.

And through this is drawn a revelation of a higher light from above also to the person,

and also a blessing that includes them both: "Male and female He created them, and He blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, etc.'"³⁶.

6.

And in this manner and similar to this is the explanation also in the aforementioned matter of Rabbi Abba and Rabbi Elazar:

Their walking on the way is its matter - the descent to clarify the matters of the world

that Rabbi Elazar the son of Rashbi and Rabbi Abba

(the colleagues of Rashbi)

were their Torah their craft

- detached from the matters of the world is the walking on the way

(even "to see his father"

was an interruption and descent - a going out from their standing and situation].

And therefore

(also)

says Rabbi Abba "let us say words of Torah",

because in order to accomplish in the world one needs to have the empowerment and assistance of Torah light

that the empowerment in the work of clarification of a man of depth,

to make from the world a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He,

is not only from the side of the study of Torah at the beginning of the day,

that he goes from the synagogue to the study hall&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;

but also during the depth itself one must have the intention and empowerment from the Torah of light,

one must hear from him the superiority of Torah&lt;sup&gt;44&lt;/sup&gt;

(and this also brings that he "steals" from the hours of depth for the study of Torah)].

And therefore Rabbi Abba said to Rabbi &lt;b&gt;Elazar&lt;/b&gt;,

on the verse "God of my father, my help"&lt;sup&gt;45&lt;/sup&gt;,

that in the walking on the way itself one must have the &lt;b&gt;help &lt;/b&gt;from above which comes through "say words &lt;b&gt;of Torah&lt;/b&gt;",

(also)

when they find themselves on the way,

And through this is revealed the superiority of the clarification of the sparks that are in the matters of the world

(going on the way)

- that one makes from the world a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He - over the service of the study of Torah from its own perspective.

7.

According to this it is understood also regarding Avraham and Sarah,

And likewise - soul and body:

In the journey on the road,

the descent into Egypt,

in exile⁴⁶,

and likewise the descent of the soul into the body in general,

must be the saying

(the influence)

of Abraham to Sarah — from the soul into the body,

That the influence consists in that "say, please, you are my sister",

that the body should hear the aspect of "my sister",

the virtue of the service and revelation of the light of the soul,

and through this is then properly accomplished the service of "wife",

the service and virtue of the body in itself,

which has a higher root than the soul; there is revealed the virtue in the aspect of "my wife"

(- the service of the body)

over "my sister"

(- the service of the soul),

And this effects the ascent also in the soul "so that it may be well &lt;b&gt;with me because of you&lt;/b&gt;",

that "he who merits a wise woman &lt;b&gt;merits &lt;/b&gt;the whole",

sustenance in the merit of his wife.

In a slightly different style: through the work of the soul in the body and through the body in his portion in the world,

that the body itself is "material of the animal soul in its materiality like the bodies of the nations of the world"&lt;sup&gt;47&lt;/sup&gt;,

therefore the materiality of the world can come,

Egypt - the nakedness of the land,

to be a thought that the body belongs to them

(as with Sarah,

that "and the woman was taken into the house of Pharaoh"),

but through that which in her shines the love and light of the soul,

the aspect of "my sister",

then afterwards the love is also awakened in the body and the animal soul,

the service that is connected with refining and purifying the body and

(through it)

in his portion in the world,

and then is revealed the choice &lt;b&gt;essence &lt;/b&gt;that is specifically in the body&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;,

also to the soul,

That in a revealed way this will be in the future to come, that then the soul will be nourished from the body⁴⁹.

(From the talk of Motzaei Shabbos Parshat Tazria-Metzora 5739)