English translation — חיי שרה ג

1.

On the verse¹

"And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking, and behold, Rivkah came out,"

brings the midrash²

the statement of Rashbi³

"Three were answered by the answer of their mouth,

Eliezer the servant of Avraham, and Moshe, and Shlomo,

Eliezer: 'And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking, and behold, Rivkah came out,'

Moshe: as it is written⁴

'And it came to pass, when he had finished speaking all these words, that the ground split open etc.,'

Shlomo: as it is written⁵

'And it came to pass, when Shlomo had finished praying to Hashem, that the fire came down from heaven etc.'⁶.

From the simple meaning of the language of the midrash it appears at first glance,

that the matter that "they were answered by the answer of their mouth" is connected with the personal quality of the enumerated "three."

And since that by the three is one and the same reward "they answered with one accord",

and especially that the midrash emphasizes "three are

(they answered with one accord)

" — one includes everyone together,

it is understood,

that there is a aspect

(quality)

<b>equal </b>in all these three⁷.

One must understand: how is it possible to compare

(even the same quality as it is by)

Eliezer servant of Abraham to Moses and Solomon?

The wonder is even greater

(as the commentators ask⁸)

The "He answered with an answer of his mouth" by Eliezer's prayer was with an advantage

(quicker)

over the prayers of Moses and Solomon: By Eliezer it says "And he was <b>before</b> he had finished speaking" — he was answered <b>before</b> he had finished his prayer,

but by Moses and Solomon this was at the conclusion of their prayer: "And it was <b>when he had finished</b> speaking",

"<b>And when Solomon had finished</b> praying" — it turns out,

that there is a superiority by Eliezer over Moses and Solomon?

Also one must understand: if this is due to the virtue of the people,

why was "they answered with their mouth" only by them and not by others?

Therefore one must say,

that the matter that <b>the </b>3 "they answered with their mouth" is connected not

(so much)

with the virtue of the <b>pray-ers</b>,

but

(<b>mainly</b>)

with the <b>content</b>⁹

of the prayers¹⁰.

It requires explanation: What is the unique quality of the three prayers,

that specifically by them it was "answered with a verbal response"?

B.

Will one understand this with an introduction of the explanation of the quality of that which one is answered upon a prayer with a verbal response:

The Rambam in the book HaYad¹¹

says,

that one of the virtues of a baal teshuvah is that he is "cries out and is answered immediately",

and in his language: "How superior is the virtue of teshuvah,

yesterday this one was separated from Hashem, the God of Israel ..

cries out and is not answered ..

and today he is cleaving¹²

to the Shechinah ..

cries out and is answered immediately etc.”¹³.

One must understand: in the halachah before this¹⁴

the Rambam says: "Teshuvah brings close the distant ones; yesterday this one was hated before the Omnipresent, abominable and distant and an abomination¹⁵

and today he is beloved and desirable, close and a friend".

And at first glance: that which "cries out and is answered immediately" is indeed a result of that which one is "beloved and desirable, close and a friend" to the Most High,

so why does the Rambam make it a matter in itself,

in a halachah in itself?

will understand this from the explanation in the two aforementioned halachos,

seemingly: both halachos have the <b>same</b> content,

that through repentance one becomes close to the Most High?

But the Rambam states here two levels in the virtue of repentance,

and therefore he divides them into two separate halachos:

In the first halacha he speaks about "drawing near to the Shechinah",

in his language at the beginning of the halacha "Great is repentance <b>that brings near </b>a person to the Shechinah"¹⁶,

and this is expressed in that which "Yesterday this one was despised ..

and distant ..

and today he is beloved and cherished, near and friend";

In the second halacha he speaks about a higher level in the virtue of repentance¹⁷

— "How <b>exalted is the virtue of </b>repentance"¹⁸

— that not only does one become "beloved and cherished, near and friend",

<b>near </b>to the Shechinah,

rather one becomes "<b>attached </b>to the Shechinah" — unified,

<b>attachment </b>to the Shechinah.

And therefore the Rambam places the matter of "cries and is answered immediately" in <b>the </b>halachah,

in continuation of the matter of "and today he is cleaving to the Shechinah"

(and not in the preceding halachah,

the matter of "close to the Shechinah"),

because that which

"cries and is answered immediately" comes as a result of that which one is "<b>cleaving </b>to the Shechinah"¹⁹.

3.

The explanation of this:

The time interval that lasts until a thing comes from the giver to the receiver,

is a proof,

that the receiver is not attached and united with the giver; and it is obvious that they are two separate things.

But not so when they are attached and united — there is no

(time interval)

interruption in time

(just as there is none — in place),

since they are as one,

without a division between them.

And therefore: when a person is only "close" to the Above,

"beloved and pleasant, close and friend",

but not <b>attached </b>to the Shechinah,

then it is nevertheless that being a "cherished etc." the Above will accept his request,

it is however not necessary that it should be "answered <b>immediately</b>";

Specifically when he is "attached to the Shechinah"²⁰,

The one who prays is attached and united with the One who answers, he is "answered" in a manner of "attachment"

(also in time)

— immediately and forthwith²¹.

D.

Just as this is regarding the "person" — the person who prays,

that the matter of "cries out and is answered immediately" is connected and is a result of that which one is "attached to the Shechinah",

so too it may be said that it is regarding the "object",

the quality and the content of the prayer — and in our case,

the quality of the three prayers — that they are connected with the matter of <b>attachment </b>

(to the Shechinah)²².

And based on this, we can explain why specifically these three prayers are distributed

Solomon's prayer — is connected to the revelation of the Shechinah,

and I will dwell in their midst²³,

in the Sanctuary²⁴

(b)

Moses' prayer

(in connection with the dispute of Korach)

"By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me etc. and if the Lord creates a creation etc."²⁵

(c)

Eliezer's prayer in connection with the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca]

— because they contain the three general modes in the revelation of G‑dliness in a manner of unification

(attachment to the Shechinah)

which exist in creation: in the world,

in human beings,

and in the Torah.

5.

The revelation of G‑dliness in the world

(in a manner of unification)

— is the revelation of the Shechinah that was in the Sanctuary²⁶

: The revelation of G‑dliness in the Sanctuary was in a manner that place became unified with G‑dliness,

one saw with physical eyes,

that the physical place is nullified to the G‑dliness that is above place,

until the place itself became higher than place,

as our Sages, of blessed memory, said²⁷

"The place of the Ark is not within the measurement."

And this is the content of Solomon's prayer: "I have surely built a house of habitation for You, a place for Your dwelling forever"&lt;sup&gt;28&lt;/sup&gt;,

"The heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain You, how much less this house

which I have built"&lt;sup&gt;29&lt;/sup&gt;,

and immediately afterwards&lt;sup&gt;30&lt;/sup&gt;

he was "answered" "with an answer of his mouth": "And when Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven etc. and the glory of the Lord filled the house" — there came about the indwelling of the Divine Presence in revelation in the Holy Temple

(and from then on the indwelling of the Divine Presence remained in an eternal manner in that place,

as the ruling of the Rambam&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;).

The revelation of the Shechinah to &lt;b&gt;human beings&lt;/b&gt;

(in a manner of unification)

— is the concept of prophecy,

&lt;b&gt;He reveals His secret&lt;/b&gt; to His servants the prophets&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;,

which is also a fundamental principle of our faith,

and in the language of the Rambam&lt;sup&gt;33&lt;/sup&gt;

"from the foundations of the religion to know that God &lt;b&gt;prophesies to human beings&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;.

And the revelation of prophecy is in a manner that the prophet becomes attached and united with the word of G‑d&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;,

until that the word of G‑d "clothes itself&lt;sup&gt;36&lt;/sup&gt;

in their intellect and comprehension in the vision of prophecy and also in their thought and speech"&lt;sup&gt;37&lt;/sup&gt;.

And this is the content of the prayer of Moshe Rabbeinu — and therefore he was answered

became tired — "In this you shall know that &lt;b&gt;G-d has sent me &lt;/b&gt;to do all these deeds etc. If these die like the death of all men etc., G-d has not sent me; and if &lt;b&gt;a creation &lt;/b&gt;G-d creates etc., then you shall know that etc."

That is,

it is not a sign and wonder regarding the matter of the entirety of &lt;b&gt;the Torah &lt;/b&gt;of Moses&lt;sup&gt;38&lt;/sup&gt;,

that the commandments and precepts of the Torah were said to Moses at Sinai,

but a sign and wonder that Moses is &lt;b&gt;His emissary &lt;/b&gt;literally like Him regarding "all these deeds" — "to give to Aaron the high priesthood and his sons the deputy priesthood and Elitzaphan the prince of the Kohathites"&lt;sup&gt;39&lt;/sup&gt;

— and it can be said that this is an additional virtue beyond that which it is the Torah of Moses,

this is also the agency and prophecy of Moses&lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;

(revealed its secret — and therefore "a creation will be created"

(&lt;b&gt;a new revelation&lt;/b&gt;))

— prophecy&lt;sup&gt;41&lt;/sup&gt;,

which in its kind and type was the prophecy of the other prophets&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;.

And the third general aspect of the revelation of the Shechinah — in Torah,

דאורייתא וקוב"ה כולא חד⁴³,

is connected with the prayer of Eliezer,

as will be explained below.

6.

Regarding the passage of Eliezer, our Rabbis, of blessed memory, say⁴⁴

"The conversation of the servants of the Patriarchs is more beautiful⁴⁵...

than the Torah of the children"

(and moreover in a manner of "more beautiful")

over "the Torah of the children" it is understood,

that they have a connection between themselves]

Is explained in Chassidus⁴⁶,

that "the conversation of the servants of the patriarchs" — and in particular the match of Yitzchak and Rivkah — is <b>the totality</b> of the matter of the Torah and its commandments.

And for this reason it is related in the Torah at length: this is a matter that is essential and general,

which brought about the totality of the matter of the Giving of the Torah,

the Torah of the children.

The explanation of this:

The effect of the Giving of the Torah is — as discussed many times — the connection of "upper ones" with "lower ones": until the Giving of the Torah there was the decree that upper ones may not descend to lower ones and lower ones may not ascend to upper ones,

and at the Giving of the Torah the decree was nullified and "the lower ones shall ascend to the upper ones and the upper ones shall descend to the lower ones"⁴⁷

— i.

e.

that through

(the Giving of)

Torah the connection of the world is effected,

"lower ones",

with

Divinity which is above the world until they become connected together.

And as we see it in the matter of the fulfillment of the commandments⁴⁸

after the Giving of the Torah,

that by fulfilling a commandment with a physical object,

one effects that the physical thing becomes a vessel for Divinity — they become objects of a commandment,

objects of holiness⁴⁹,

until in a manner of unity — an object of holiness⁵⁰.

The preparation and introduction to the composition by

(giving of the)

Torah was earlier — and this is also the giving of power for the service after the giving of the Torah.

For the first time where in Torah — in the simple meaning of Scripture — a matter of "connection of upper and lower [beings]" is told,

that holiness

(and separated)

should be connected and unified with "lower [beings]" in a complete and true unity — this is the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca⁵¹

At the time of the marriage, Isaac was

(In addition to that which he was the son of Abraham,

was a circumcised on the eighth day etc.,

all the lofty matters that he received from Abraham — he was)

then after the trial and self-sacrifice of the Binding&lt;sup&gt;52&lt;/sup&gt;

— elevated to the level of "a perfect burnt offering"&lt;sup&gt;53&lt;/sup&gt;

(holiness in the ultimate sense)

And,

Rebecca was "daughter of Bethuel ..

sister of Laban",

and from "Padan Aram"&lt;sup&gt;54&lt;/sup&gt;

— outside the Land,

What "&lt;b&gt;in &lt;/b&gt;the diaspora it is worthwhile &lt;b&gt;for you&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;55&lt;/sup&gt;

— to Yitzchak: from this it is understood,

that the mission of Eliezer to bring Rivkah from her place in Padan Aram

(the diaspora)

&lt;b&gt;as a wife &lt;/b&gt;to Yitzchak,

a perfect ascent,

and he shall cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh&lt;sup&gt;56&lt;/sup&gt;,

this is the greatest ascent.

were &lt;b&gt;before &lt;/b&gt;Avraham became "perfect" through the commandment of circumcision,

before the souls which they made in Charan&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;

&lt;b&gt;etc. &lt;/b&gt;— at the time when also Avraham

(like Sarah)

were in Ur Kasdim and in the house of his father&lt;sup&gt;58&lt;/sup&gt;,

Terach before he repented&lt;sup&gt;59&lt;/sup&gt;,

among idol worshippers].

And the deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children⁶⁰.

It is understood,

that the "sign" and empowerment regarding the unity and connection that was established at the giving of the Torah,

derives⁶¹

from the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca⁶².

7.

Based on this one can explain the aforementioned wonder

(ibid. 1)

in that the "answered immediately" regarding Eliezer's prayer was yet with an advantage

(more "immediately")

than regarding the prayer of Moses and Solomon — that <b>he</b> was answered <b>before</b> his prayer had ended,

but regarding Moses and Solomon it states that this was after the completion of their prayer — because this is connected with the superiority of Torah over the matter of prophecy and the Holy Temple:

The revelation of G-dliness that is drawn forth in the prophet,

and likewise in the Holy Temple,

it is — two things that become unified together⁶³.

Therefore one sees that in the revelation of prophecy there was in every prophet — before he prophesied,

at the time of prophecy,

after the prophecy

(in addition to that in general prophecy ceased⁶⁴)

; and likewise regarding the Holy Temple: in the Second Temple the Name was lacking⁶⁵,

only on the three pilgrimage festivals appear and appear⁶⁶,

no service at night⁶⁷

etc. and in particular — the destruction of the Holy Temple.

And although the holiness within it "is not nullified"⁶⁸,

nevertheless the physical Holy Temple

(where with fleshly eyes one saw that "the place of the Ark is not from the measurement" and also in the Second Temple: ten miracles were performed etc.⁶⁹)

was destroyed,

a

A situation that

(in the eyes of flesh)

one does not see a revelation of G‑dliness.

Since the revelation of G‑dliness within them was renewed in their existence,

therefore it is possible⁷⁰

in this an interruption.

But not so Torah is <b>from the outset</b> one thing with G‑dliness — the Torah and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one,

in Torah there cannot be any changes — Torah is "standing forever and for all eternities, it has neither change nor diminution nor addition"⁷¹.

therefore,

also the unification of Jews and world with G‑dliness when it comes <b>through the Torah</b> — is in this manner: through Torah Israel and the Holy One, blessed be He, are entirely one; and likewise the very existence of the world is connected with Torah,

not only was the world created "for the sake of the Torah"⁷²

(in a manner that Torah and world remain two separate things),

but the very existence of the world is dependent on Torah,

as our sages, of blessed memory, [said]⁷³

"that the Holy One, blessed be He, stipulated with the work of creation and said: If Israel accepts My Torah, good, etc.",

that their very existence is the condition of "Israel accepts My Torah"]⁷⁴.

And therefore the "answer" in Eliezer's prayer regarding Isaac's marriage

And Rivkah

(which indicates on the generality of the matter of the Torah as above)

was in a manner of "&lt;b&gt;before &lt;/b&gt;she finished speaking":

When the answer comes only after the conclusion of prayer,

it is a proof,

that the content and subject of the prayer is a thing which is not in the ultimate and true unity with G‑d; it is indeed in a manner of “attached to the Shechinah”,

therefore the answer comes immediately — but⁷⁵

the attachment is

(in its explanation simply)

two things which have become attached one to the other.

And therefore the prayer and its answer are also in a manner similar to this

(only in closeness and attachment)

— first comes the prayer and after the conclusion of prayer comes

(immediately)

the answer.

But when the request of the prayer is a matter which is from the outset “entirely one” with G‑d,

then the answer comes correspondingly in a manner that one cannot separate it from the prayer,

and in our case — not after he finished speaking,

all these things⁷⁶,

after the conclusion of prayer — but “before⁷⁷

he finished speaking”.

8.

On the verse "And it was, he had not yet finished, etc." it is explained in Chassidus⁷⁸,

that in

the drawing down of Divinity there are two modes⁷⁹,

which are hinted at in the verse⁸⁰

"He sends His utterance to the earth

(and)

swiftly runs His word":

"He who sends His utterance to the earth" is the flow that comes down below in a manner of "little by little",

that is,

that it goes through the order of the chain of descent of the worlds,

from level to level

(and in each level the flow becomes unified with the "world" of that level)

until it comes down below.

And there is a flow in a manner of "until <b>quickly his word shall run</b>" — that it comes down directly below,

with a "swiftness",

"skipping over" the order of the chain of descent.

That the reason for the difference between the two effluences is — from which place it is drawn,

begins: When the effluence is from a level in Divinity that has a connection to the chain of worlds,

then it is drawn downward in a manner that it must pass through

(in a manner of enclothing)

the order of the chain; but when the effluence is from the Divine light that is <b>higher</b> than the chain,

then it comes down directly downward,

in a manner of "swiftness",

because it does not need to pass through the order of the chain

(in a manner of <b>enclothing</b>).

On this basis, Chassidus⁷⁸

explains the reason why by the "three"

(mentioned above)

there was "they answered with their mouth",

in a manner of "immediately",

because they attained through their prayer to the Divine light

that is above the chain of descent,

which is drawn down below in a manner of "until &lt;b&gt;quickly His word runs &lt;/b&gt;."

And according to this is also explained the superiority of Eliezer's prayer over the prayer of Moses and Solomon,

that specifically by him it was "&lt;b&gt;before &lt;/b&gt;he finished speaking" — because since the purpose of his prayer was for Isaac's sake,

that Isaac's essence is gevurot,

&lt;b&gt;intensification &lt;/b&gt;of vitality,

therefore,

the answer to the prayer was in a manner of &lt;b&gt;intensification &lt;/b&gt;

(not mere speed,

but with an intensification in the speed)

— "&lt;b&gt;before &lt;/b&gt;he finished speaking."

And one could say,

that the above explanation in the sicha should be adapted to the explanation

(in Chassidus)

From the perspective of the order of descent, the unification of the world with G‑d is, as it were, like a thing which

(afterward)

became unified with G‑d; specifically from the perspective of the Infinite Light that is above the order of descent

(and particularly from the perspective of the Essence),

the world is from the outset truly one with G‑d — the “created being” is one thing, as it were, with the “true being”⁸¹.

Shabbos Parshas Shemini 5733)