English translation — תשא ג

1.

In the current sidra it is told,

that Moshe Rabbeinu asked the Supreme One "Show me now Your glory"¹,

and the Supreme One answered him "You cannot see My face etc. and you shall see My back but My face shall not be seen"².

Rashi stands on the words: "and you shall see My back" and explains: "He showed him the knot of tefillin"³.

The essence of Rashi's commentary on the Torah is to explain the plain meaning of the verse.

One must understand: what is difficult in the plain meaning of the verse,

because of which Rashi must explain that "behind" means "the knot of the tefillin"?

One cannot answer that for Rashi it is difficult - how can one say the attribute "behind" regarding the Most High

(since the Most High is abstract from every form)?

- because in the Torah several times attributes are mentioned

(and even physical ones)

regarding the Most High,

and one does not find that Rashi stops on them and explains

that

(since it is not possible to use such

Attributes regarding Above,

Therefore there is the explanation not according to its simple meaning,

But)

The explanation is such and such;

And as one sees in the matter itself: earlier it says "You cannot see My <b>face</b>",

And Rashi does not stop to explain the meaning of "face" Above; one must say,

That this is not a matter that Rashi stops on it in his commentary on the Torah — that is, why must Rashi explain what is "back"?

The question is even stronger: if this is difficult on Rashi in the verse

(as [the word] "behind" [is] upward)

- then in what does the answer "He showed him the knot of tefillin" consist?

"The knot of tefillin" is also a physical thing that is used as a parable

for "behind" of His glory, may He be blessed

(as explained in the commentaries)

- now what is "gained" by explaining to the five-year-old

that "behind" is not according to its simple meaning

(because regarding the Most High, a physical attribute is not applicable),

rather does this mean "the knot of tefillin"?

And on the contrary: if one must find a "parable" for the five-year-old for "behind" of His glory, may He be blessed - then the parable of "face" and "back" regarding a person below is that "face" is the place where one sees revealed the virtue of the person - his senses: sight, hearing, etc.,

but not so the back of the person,

where one does not see revealed the virtue of the person and - that this

belongs generally to a person]

a greenhorn to understand how the mashal of "knot of tefillin"⁹.

- and in particular that these are the same attributes

(words)

in the mashal and in the nimshal.

Also one must understand in Rashi's language: why does he quote from the verse also the word "and you shall see",

and so he also says in his commentary "he showed him a knot etc."?

- Rashi is only innovative regarding the word "behind"; he should have written briefly: "behind,

knot of tefillin"!

2.

The explanation in this: Before the Most High answered Moshe

(on his request "Show me, please, Your glory")

"You cannot see My face, etc.",

it says in the verse¹⁰

: "And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you, and I will be gracious, etc.",

and only then came <b>after </b>a statement "You cannot see, etc."

What connection does the first statement have to Moshe's request "Show me, please, Your glory"?

Rashi explains: "The time has come that you will see My glory what I will permit you to see, because I want and need to teach you <b>the order of prayer</b>..

I will make all My goodness pass before you on the rock..

And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you to teach you the order of supplication ..

And in this order that you see Me wrapped¹¹

and calling the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, I teach Israel to do so";

And in continuation of this was the second statement "And He said, You cannot see [My face] etc." - "even¹²

when I pass all My goodness before you, I do not give you permission to see My face."

It turns out that "And you shall see My back" is not a separate thing,

but a continuation of the matter of "I will pass all My goodness etc." - that the vision that Moses will see the Almighty "wrapped and reading" will be expressed in a manner of and continued with "And you shall see My back."

3.

Based on this, it is not understood what the verse means by "and you will see My back": since the Almighty revealed Himself to Moses

(like a prayer leader who is)

"wrapped" in a tallit¹³,

and Moses' vision was

(<b>after</b> the "passing by"¹⁴,

and consequently)

only with "the back" - what kind of matter of "<b>you will see My glory</b>"

(at least in a manner of "and you will see My back")

was there?

When one is "wrapped" in a tallit and one looks at him from behind,

the tallit indeed conceals the one wrapped in it.

- one would

(perhaps)

be able to say,

that seeing His glory as He is wrapped in a tallit is a

Proof that His honor is not

(Because the tallis is "for honor and glory")¹⁶

One does not find, however, by tallis a condition that it must be made from expensive things¹⁷,

And on the contrary — the custom of Israel, which is Torah — that the chazzan's tallit is made of wool,

and especially according to the commentators "tallit" in the Mishnah as in "two who are holding a tallit" and in the Mishnah in general — <b>garment</b>].

To this Rashi answers "He showed him the knot of the tefillin": the "one who sees me <b>wrapped</b>" means

(not only with a tallit,

but)

also with tefillin — as the five-year-old knows,

that sometimes a chazzan is wrapped only in a tallit

(Shabbat and Yom Tov),

and sometimes with tallit and tefillin — and Moses saw "the knot of the tefillin" whose place is behind him

(of a person)¹⁸.

And therefore Rashi must emphasize "He showed him the knot of the tefillin" - because since the Almighty revealed Himself to Moses "wrapped" - then the knot of the tefillin is covered by the tallit,

So how did Moses see the "knot"?

Rashi explains "He showed him the knot of the tefillin" - the Almighty

(so to speak,

uncovered the tallit¹⁹

in that place and)

showed Moses the knot.

In what consists the seeing of His glory, blessed be He, through seeing the "tefillin" above - Rashi does not need to explain,

because a five-year-old sees this himself²⁰

: one sees that the tefillin of the head lie on the head like a crown that encompasses the head,

which is why they are a matter of preciousness and honor.

And therefore Rashi is precise that "He showed him the knot of the tefillin"

- and not the straps

(Although the straps hang down from the "knot of the tefillin" and are longer and consequently — even from behind — one sees them more than the knot — as one sees it simply by a person below,

that the knot of the shel rosh can sometimes be covered by the yarmulke,

in contrast the straps hang down below)

Because that which the tefillin shel rosh are like a &lt;b&gt;crown&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;

&lt;b&gt;and a crown&lt;/b&gt;

(and accordingly no matter of honor)

depends on the &lt;b&gt;knot&lt;/b&gt;,

which he does so that the

(straps of)

tefillin should hold and should be &lt;b&gt;tight&lt;/b&gt; on the head.

4.

One must still, however, understand in the inwardness of the matters:

Since the fulfillment of the request of "Show me now Your glory" — at least in the manner of "And you will see My back" — is

came together,

at the same time,

when the Most High taught him the "order of prayer" of saying the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy —

Is this certainly not a side matter,

that when teaching Moshe the "Order of Supplication" the Most High let him see His glory, blessed be He, in the aspect of "Achori" -

But this is an essential matter in the "Order of Supplication"; so that the study of the "Order of Supplication" should be complete,

there had to be present the "And you shall see My back" - "He showed him the knot of tefillin."

will one understand this with the introduction of the explanation in that which the "order of prayer" is in a manner that "sees Me wrapped and recites the Thirteen Attributes",

in which it is not understood: the

(main)

essence of prayer is indeed the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,

which they effect the "and I will be gracious" and "and I will have mercy" — what is relevant that they should be recited specifically at the time that one is "wrapped"?

5.

And one can say one of the explanations in this:

The general concept of sin — because of which one prays and one arouses mercy that one should be saved from the punishment for the sin — comes from "forgetfulness"

(And in general, "forgetfulness" comes from kelipah²²,

but not so in holiness,

is "there is no forgetfulness before the throne of Your glory"²³).

Jews are indeed "believers, children of believers"²⁴.

Every Jew truly believes that

"In the beginning God created" the heavens and the earth and all their hosts,

and the Most High "renews in His goodness &lt;b&gt;every day constantly &lt;/b&gt;the work of creation" - every day

(and every moment&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;)

is the L-rd renewing anew the entire creation,

from absolute nothing and naught - and as the Alter Rebbe continues in Tanya&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;

- "as before the six days of creation exactly".

The question arises: When a Jew &lt;b&gt;hears &lt;/b&gt;that in this moment he was just created anew by the Most High,

and that in a moment from now he must again come to the word of G-d to renew his existence from nothing to something - how is it possible that the Jew

(even being,

G-d forbid,

the greatest baal taavah)

should not fulfill the will of the Most High

(not to fulfill the desire),

upon Whom b"H depends his entire existence - together with his desire - &lt;b&gt;in that very moment&lt;/b&gt;?

And even when it seems to him,

that he has very many obstacles and delays which hinder him in his serving the Most High -

he knows nevertheless as a believer son of a believer with complete certainty,

that also the things that hinder were just created by the Most High from absolute nothingness exactly "like before the six days of creation literally" - and so,

it cannot be that they are

(truly)

contrary to the will of God! How can they be

(truly)

a hindrance to Judaism²⁶,

to that which the Most High wants,

When they were just created by the Supreme One Himself?

And if so,

how is it that there is a Jew who conducts himself differently than that which his clear knowledge obligates him?

- The answer to this is: He knows indeed,

but at the time of action he forgot about it.

At the time of the matter of <b>remembrance</b> is among Jews properly,

become automatically nullified all matters of the opposite side,

and one fulfills Torah and mitzvot in completeness,

until - "All your deeds shall be for the sake of Heaven" and "In all your ways know Him",

and there does not occur to him any "extraneous thought".

And this is the reason that at the time of recitation of the Thirteen Attributes one must be <b>wrapped</b> - in a tallit and

(according to Rashi there are those who explain,

also)

tefillin - because the content of these two commandments is connected to the matter of <b>remembrance</b>: "And you shall see it <b>and you shall remember</b>"²⁷,

"And it shall be etc. <b>and for a remembrance</b> between your eyes"²⁸.

And therefore they are relevant to the correction and uprooting²⁹

of the sin which brings about the "And I will be gracious" and "And I will have mercy".

6.

According to the above, one will also understand the connection of "

(he showed him)

<b>knot</b> of tefillin" - specifically knot - to the "order of supplication":

In the Zohar of today's parshah³⁰

he says that R. Chiya and R. Yosi made

"Knots" in order not to forget the words of Torah that they heard

Found in the later authorities that this is also a source in Torah³¹

to that which "people say"³²,

that making a knot is a counsel not to forget a thing that one wants to remember].

What is the connection of "knots" to the matter of remembrance?

One can explain this based on what is explained in Igeret HaTeshuvah³³

in the interpretation of the Sages' statement³⁴

"A person committed a transgression etc. what should he do and live? If he was accustomed to read one page, let him read two pages etc." - so this is "like the parable of the rope that breaks and is tied again, that at the place of the knot it is double and doubled."

That means,

that the concept of "knot" in spirituality is when one binds oneself to a matter with a more multifaceted³⁵

strength,

until the bond is in a manner of "double and doubled."

And therefore this is a correction for sins,

because when one binds oneself with holiness in a manner of "knot," forgetfulness is not applicable

(which is the cause of sins as above).

And from this matter as it is in spirituality - that a spiritual "connection" nullifies the connection to kelipah

(source of forgetfulness)

- then becomes drawn down also into physicality,

that making a physical knot helps to nullify "forgetfulness" literally.

7.

And this is also the connection of "

(And you will see My back³⁶

He showed him the <b>knot</b> of tefillin" to the "order of supplication": at the time that the Most High taught Moshe the "order of supplication"

(which effects the rectification of the sin),

He "showed him" the content of the matter of the rectification of the sin,

which is through

"Knot of tefillin" - a strong bond

(<b>Knot</b>)

and remembrance <b>of tefillin</b>³⁷

and especially that everything is renewed every moment from the One Above.

And through that which one will be saved from forgetfulness - through a proper remembrance in all matters of holiness and Judaism - one will soon merit the fulfillment of the promise³⁸

"<b>And revealed</b> shall be the glory of the Lord, <b>and seen</b> shall all flesh together that the mouth of the Lord has spoken":

One will not need to come to the matter of "remembrance",

because one will <b>see</b>³⁹

with one's own eyes how the entire creation

("all flesh")

becomes renewed every moment through "the mouth of G-d speaks",

from absolute nothingness and non-existence,

With the coming of our righteous Messiah,

may he come and redeem us and lead us upright to our land,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From the sicha of Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Tisa 5739)