English translation — תבא א

1.

On the verse¹

"And Hashem has distinguished you today to be for Him a treasured people as He spoke to you" Rashi stands on the words "as He spoke to you" and explains: "And you shall be for Me a treasured people"².

Afterwards Rashi stands in the second verse on the words "And for you to be a holy people as He spoke" and explains: "And you shall be³

for Me holy"⁴.

One must understand: If Rashi does not need to copy from the verse <b>what </b>the "speech" is

(because it is stated explicitly in the verse: "to be for Him a treasured people")⁵,

but — <b>where </b>is the "speech" found earlier — why does he copy it the second time⁶?

And if it is indeed necessary to copy also what the "speech" is — he should have copied it also the first time⁷?

2.

Also one must understand what Rashi explains

(in the second statement)

that "when He spoke" means "and you shall be holy to Me" from Parshat Kedoshim:

After "and you shall be to Me a treasure" which Rashi brings

(from Parshat Yitro),

he <b>continues there</b>⁸

: "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and <b>a holy nation</b>" — then why does Rashi teach that the "when He spoke"

(in the second verse)

refers to a different statement from the one above

("and you shall be holy to Me"),

not the one that stands together with "and you shall be to Me a treasure" — as indeed several commentators of the Torah learn⁹?

Further: according to the commentators, the continuation here in the verse is simply

: on the words "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests" which is stated in Parshat Yitro,

Rashi translates "princes" — based on this it automatically follows,

that all the details here in the verses

"to be for Him a treasured people and to set you high above all the nations,

and for you to be a holy people" correspond to the three details in the "word" of the Most High there in Parshat Yitro: to be for Him a treasured people — and you shall be to Me a treasure from all the peoples; and to set you <b>high</b> above <b>all the nations</b> — and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests

(<b>princes</b>)

; and "for you to be a holy people" — "and a holy nation".

3.

At first glance, one can say,

that the reason that Rashi does not bring the verse "and a holy nation" on "and for you to be a holy nation etc. as He spoke",

is because then this is the same "as He spoke",

and the verse would here by "and for you to be a holy nation" not have needed to repeat again "as He spoke".

But it is forced,

since there is an interruption "and to keep all His commandments".

And further — according to this, the verse requires explanation

(and Rashi should have safeguarded it)

: Why does the verse mean a second utterance,

and therefore he repeats again "as He spoke,"

and not the "holy nation" in parshas Yisro,

which comes in continuation of "and you shall be to Me a treasure"?

Also need to understand:

The verse that Rashi brings stands <b>at the end</b> of parshas Kedoshim — and one already finds earlier the expression: "Kedoshim tihyu"

(at the beginning of parshas Kedoshim)

and even earlier "vehiskadashtem viheyisem kedoshim"

(at the end of parshas Shemini¹¹).

Why does Rashi bring the later verse¹²?

It is difficult to answer that since in <b>this</b> verse

(in our parshah)

it says "vihiyoscha am kadosh <b>laHashem Elokecha</b>",

therefore he brings a verse where it is also explicit "viheyisem <b>Li</b> kedoshim",

unlike the other verses mentioned above where the expression is "kedoshim" simply,

and it is not emphasized that the holiness is "Li" —

Because according to this, Rashi would have needed to copy from the verse here also the words "to Hashem your G-d".

Since Rashi copies only "and to be a holy people as He spoke"

(and leaves out the words

("to Hashem your G-d")

which stand &lt;b&gt;between them&lt;/b&gt;— and he does not even allude to them with "etc."&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;)

— it is proven,

that the "as He spoke" refers to "and to be a holy people" and is not meant to emphasize the detail of "to Hashem your G-d".

4.

And one can say the explanation in this:

At first glance, in the verse it is not smooth: "And for you to be a holy people, etc." is in its content the same thing as "for Him to be a treasured people,"

they are described as how the "people Israel" is distinguished from all nations: "a treasured people" — "a holy people" —

they had to stand together immediately one after the other¹⁴

from that which "and for you to be a holy people" stands in a second verse,

and at its end —

After he concludes with "and to keep all His commandments",

which speaks about the <b>action</b> of Jews because of <b>the commandment</b>¹⁵

(and not a matter of <b>attribute and quality</b> in relation to all the nations)¹⁶,

it is understood that "a treasured people" and "a holy people" here — are two entirely separate matters;

And consequently one cannot learn that "and for you to be a holy people etc. as He spoke" means the "holy nation" that is stated in Parshas Yisro,

for there it is a matter that comes in sequence and one content with "and you shall be to Me a treasure from all the nations".

5.

In what consists the difference between "and to be for you a holy people" and "and you shall be to Me a treasure from all the nations" — Rashi takes it out from that which in the first verse it says "as He spoke <b>to you</b>,"

and by "and to be for you a holy people" it says "as He spoke"

(without the word "to you").

The explanation in this: Rashi had already explained <b>earlier </b>in parshas Vayeitzei¹⁷

: "I spoke <b>to you </b>— for your benefit and about you, what I promised to Avraham about his seed, to you I promised etc., and likewise <b>all </b>to me and to you and to him and to them that are adjacent to speech serve as the language <b>about</b>"¹⁸.

From this it is understood in our matter,

that the explanation "as He spoke to you" does not mean "as He spoke to you",

to Jews

The entire Torah was said to Jews!],

but rather "for your benefit and upon you",

"as He spoke about you" — a promise,

a guarantee for you,

"upon you".

And this is the continuation of the verse: "And Hashem has elevated you today to be for Him a treasured people",

which means that "He separated you for Himself from the nations of the earth to be for Him a treasured people"¹⁹,

then the action was "as He spoke to you" — as the Almighty had promised it,

said about Jews²⁰.

And therefore Rashi explains that "as He spoke <b>to you</b>" means the speech "and you shall be to Me a treasure,"

which there was the "speech" <b>about</b> Jews²¹.

In the second verse "and for you to be a holy people etc. as He spoke" which says <b>not</b> "to you,"

it is understood,

that "as He spoke" does not mean the speech of the Above <b>about</b> Jews,

a promise about that which will be with you,

but simply,

as He

(spoken and)

declared

(and consequently — to Jews)²²,

which means a command regarding an action of Jews.

And therefore it is understandable,

that this does not mean the statement "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation",

which is like the statement "And you shall be to Me a treasure" — "for your need and upon you",

a statement of the Most High about

(His action with)

Jews*²²

; rather a statement of the Most High's a <b>command </b>for "that you be a holy people".

Therefore Rashi says that this means the verse "And you shall be holy to Me,"

which is a command from the Almighty that Jews should be holy²³.

And for this reason Rashi quotes here also the beginning of the wording "&lt;b&gt;And for you to be &lt;/b&gt;

(a holy people)

" — not as it says earlier "&lt;b&gt;to be &lt;/b&gt;for Him a treasured people" — because also from this change of wording

(to be&lt;b&gt; for you &lt;/b&gt;— to &lt;b&gt;your &lt;/b&gt;being,

with an emphasis on the holiness on the part of the Jews)

one understands that this being a holy people is not necessarily an action on the part of the Almighty

(as in the previous verse),

but rather the content of the Jews' action because of the command.

6.

But the question is,

as above: a command regarding holiness is already found earlier “Holy shall you be” and even earlier “And you shall sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy”?

Therefore Rashi quotes explicitly

(not — hints through “etc.”)

from the verse also “

(and to be for you)

<b>a holy people</b>": the verses here are to bring out the distinctiveness of Jews as a “<b>people</b>”,

as the beginning of the preceding verse “And Hashem has distinguished you today

(“And He set you apart for Him <b>from the peoples</b> of the land”)

to be for Him <b>a treasured people</b>”.

And also the command regarding <b>holiness</b> in our portion is not for every Jew as an individual,

but for the entire people,

that they should be a “holy people”.

And therefore it is appropriate to say that this is the utterance "And you shall be holy to Me" of the end of Parshat Kedoshim,

where there the command is

(also)

for such a holiness that separates them as a nation from all the nations,

as the verse continues "And you shall be holy to Me for I am holy, Hashem, &lt;b&gt;and I separate &lt;/b&gt;you &lt;b&gt;from the nations &lt;/b&gt;to be Mine."

But not so the verse at the end of Parshat Shemini "And you shall sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy"&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;,

and likewise "Holy you shall be" at the beginning of Parshat Kedoshim,

where there it is not emphasized that these are commands regarding the holiness of the entire Jewish people and their separation from all the nations,

but rather commands to each individual Jew,

like the other commands of the Torah.

7.

One must still, however, understand

(in the inwardness of the matters)

: indeed, even if

"And because you are a holy people" is regarding the holiness which is the content of Jews' action,

because of the commandment,

not like "to be for Him a treasured people" which is brought about by the Supernal One,

But what is the connection of "And because you are a holy people" to the matter of "And to set you high above all the nations" which is in the same verse at its beginning?

And seemingly, "and because you are a holy people" is more related to "and to keep all His commandments"

(which stands already in the &lt;b&gt;previous &lt;/b&gt;verse)

since there it speaks about the virtue of Jews in their fulfillment&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;

the command "to keep all His commandments",

while "and to set you high above etc." is an importance and virtue that is given from the Above

(similar to "to be for Him a treasured people")&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;.

One will understand this by prefacing that which is in the present&lt;sup&gt;27&lt;/sup&gt;

Haftorah²⁸

are brought out at length the promises of the future — "And nations shall walk by your light, and kings by the brightness of your shining..

Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the side etc." and more — that the nations of the world will serve and do everything for the benefit of the Jews,

until,

as he concludes in the verse,

that "the nation and the kingdom that will not serve you shall perish, and the nations shall be utterly destroyed"²⁹.

One must understand: granted, regarding the seven commandments of the sons of Noah,

which gentiles were <b>commanded </b>about and do not fulfill,

they receive for that the punishment of death³⁰

; but one does not find, seemingly, any obligation and command that gentiles must serve the Jews,

and especially that for not fulfilling this they should receive the punishment — "shall perish",

"shall be utterly destroyed".

8.

The explanation in this: One has spoken several times³¹,

that the entire creation,

also the nations of the world,

are not a purpose and existence for themselves,

but only as a means for the sake of Jews,

as our sages, of blessed memory,³²

"In the beginning — for the sake of Israel who are called the beginning",

that they are the goal and purpose of the creation of the world and its fullness,

and in the future to come,

when there will be revealed the true existence of every created being,

then will be carried out and seen openly the purpose for which the world,

including the nations of the world,

was created — for the sake of Israel.

Therefore it compels,

that "the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you",

that those who do not carry out the purpose of their creation

(as a means)

— "will perish",

they lose their existence in a manner of automatically.

and all this — for the sake of Israel and for the sake of the Torah; and when they do not carry out the purpose of their creation,

they lose automatically the cause and the foundation of their existence³¹].

And this is the inner explanation of "and to set you high above all the nations which He made",

as it is stated in the Shach on the Torah: "as if He did not make them except for your sake, as ben Azai said, all were not created except to serve me etc."³³.

4.

5.

That the matter of “and to set you high above all the nations” is the actual carrying out of the purpose of their being created,

which is a foretaste of the future revelation,

as above.

Based on this it follows,

that the content of the two verses mentioned above in our parshah brings out the advantage and superiority in the existence of Jews over the existence of the nations of the world — “and He separated you from the peoples of the land to be for Him a treasured people,”

that the Jews are distinguished from the “peoples of the land” by that their purpose

And the purpose is in their very existence itself,

they are not like a means to another existence,

and as follows.

9.

The explanation in this: the meaning of "

(And Hashem has set you up today)

to be for Him a treasured people" is

(as Rashi explains on "And you shall be to Me a treasure"³⁴,

which he brings there),

"a cherished treasure like the treasure of kings³⁵

choice vessels and precious stones that the kings <b>treasure</b> them, so you shall be to Me a treasure from the rest of the nations" —

And since this is a parable that the Torah gives about Jews, it is understood,

that it is with utmost precision.

One must understand: what is the benefit of the "precious vessels and good stones" during the time that "they rob them",

they are hidden and concealed?

When one takes,

for example,

precious stones and one fixes them in the king's ring or in the king's crown,

they add,

of course,

to the king's splendor and majesty³⁶

; but when they are hidden,

a treasure concealed from the eyes of beholders — they apparently do nothing,

no one has any benefit or enjoyment from their preciousness and from their beauty.

But when one takes them out from the hidden treasure — for the great need of victory in the war,

as the Rebbe says in the continuation of the Hilula³⁷,

that for the sake of victory

The opponent is the king "who squanders all the treasures of the precious wealth gathered and collected over many years from generation to generation and which he never used for anything,

and hidden and sealed from the eye of any beholder" — there is a benefit from them

And also then it is called "waste,"

One <b>squanders</b> them for the sake of victory in war, not a regular use of them,

but an exception entirely.

Yud.

The explanation in this: That the treasures remain hidden,

concealed and sealed from the eye of every beholder — is because the treasures pertain

(and approximately of)

the king himself,

in his very essence as he is for himself.

There are treasures of the king whose function is,

that with them are carried out matters of the kingdom — by spending them on the needs of the state and the like,

or that which they fix in the king's crown

(and the like)

in order to add to the splendor and glory of the king,

which is a primary matter in the conduct of the kingdom — "The king in his beauty your eyes shall behold."

But the treasures &lt;b&gt;hidden &lt;/b&gt;of the king,

is

(not in order to &lt;b&gt;carry out &lt;/b&gt;a matter of kingship,

but it is)

connected with the king himself.

His very essence as a king is connected with that he has hidden treasures of precious stones and pearls with which he delights himself and has therefrom pleasure⁴⁰.

What this adds to his true exaltation

(self-elevation)⁴¹.

And this is also what Jews are "li segulah" — a "beloved treasure"⁴²

: the very existence of a Jew is higher even than that which through them is revealed His kingship in the world

(through their service in Torah and mitzvos),

their purpose is — the <b>very being </b>of theirs⁴³

; Jews are one thing,

as it were,

with His Essence and Being,

and the Supreme One Himself "takes delight" with Jews

(like a king who has pleasure from his treasures <b>that are hidden </b>and even more).

It turns out,

that the difference of Jews and other nations is in their very creation

(creation)

: the existence of the nations of the world is not for the sake of <b>them </b>themselves,

but for the sake of

(a second thing — to)

carry out the role that was assigned to them; but not so Jews,

the purpose of their creation is in their very being⁴⁴

(even before they carry out

through their role in the world)⁴⁵.

And this means "And Hashem has distinguished you today — <b>to set you apart</b> from the nations of the land — to be <b>for Him</b> a treasured people",

that Jews are <b>entirely separated</b> from the nations of the land⁴⁶,

because they are a "treasured people",

a "precious treasure" as above.

11.

With this one will also understand the connection of the verses to Rosh Hashanah

that "You have affirmed the Lord today etc. and the Lord has affirmed you today" means the day of Rosh Hashanah]

"You have affirmed the Lord today" is that which Jews coronate⁴⁸

the Most High on Rosh Hashanah — "Say before Me ..

Kingships in order to

“Make Me king over you”⁴⁹,

and “Hashem has elevated you today” is that which the Almighty accepts the coronation from Jews⁵⁰,

which is drawn down and revealed in the creation and order of the chain of descent,

in the manner of at the beginning of creation, that “Whom did He consult? The souls of the righteous”⁵¹.

And superficially,

from the very fact that Jews coronate the Almighty it is understood that they exist before they coronate Him; and likewise at the beginning of creation: from that which it is said “Whom did He consult? The souls of the righteous” it is understood that they exist before the coronation — in what then does their role consist?

This is the explanation of "am segulah" — a "precious treasure" that one is hidden; d.

h.

that the true reality of Jews is that which they are "hidden from the eye of all living" and "delights before Him",

as they are one thing, as it were, with His Essence, blessed be He — and are in the likeness of His Essence and Being, blessed be He,

about which it is indeed not applicable to say that He is, heaven forbid, for the sake of which there is a matter.

And as the Maggid⁵²

says also "Even before Israel were created, their form was engraved in thought,

as our Sages, of blessed memory, said⁵³

Israel arose in thought".

12.

And this is the difference between the two verses "And Hashem has elevated you etc. to be for Him a treasured people etc." and "and to set you high etc.":

In the first verse it speaks about the quality of Jews with which they are <b>entirely distinguished</b> from the nations of the world: "a treasured people" — "a precious treasure",

that Jews are "hidden" in His essence, may He be blessed,

they are entirely one with the Holy One, blessed be He.

And from this it comes out,

that their service is in a manner of "and to guard <b>all </b>His commandments": that which Jews keep the 613 commandments — not only the 7 commandments like Bnei Noach — is not only a difference in <b>quantity</b>,

that Jews carry out more commandments

than B"N,

but this is a different <b>quality </b>in "and to guard":

By the nations of the world,

who were created for the sake of a task,

is their guarding of the commandments with a measure and limit — how many commands

(and tasks)

(and tasks)

were originally allocated to them:

By Jews however,

that they are one thing, as it were,

with His Essence and Being, may He be blessed,

(as above),

is by them the matter of "and to guard <b>all</b> His commandments" — without any measure and limitation; since "He and His will are one"⁵⁴,

is whatever a commandment

(and will)

it should only be,

are Jews,

who are one thing with [the] Essence,

are devoted and given over to carry out the will.

And in the second verse — "and to set you high etc." — is brought out the superiority of Jews also as they

(become separated from their source and)

come down below into the world,

that also then they are "high above all the nations": they are the purpose of the entire creation,

and

All created beings

(including "all the nations")

are for their sake,

as above.

That this is such an advantage and superiority of Jews which is approximately that nations should be able to comprehend and hear how the Jewish people is "supreme over all the nations",

Therefore they praise and extol the Jews

(they are,

as the verse concludes,

"for praise and for a name and for glory")⁵⁵.

And this expresses itself openly through "and to be a holy people to Hashem your G-d as He spoke" — "and you shall be holy to Me",

that also in the physical matters of Jews,

in which they are externally similar to the nations of the world&lt;sup&gt;56&lt;/sup&gt;,

they are truly a holy people to Hashem their G-d,

as is emphasized in the continuation of the verse that Rashi brings down there "

(and you shall be holy to Me etc.)

and I will separate you &lt;b&gt;from the nations &lt;/b&gt;to be Mine".

And this is further brought out in Rashi's commentary there: "From where that a person should not say 'my soul loathes the flesh of pig etc.' but rather he should say 'I desire it, but what can I do, and my Father in heaven has decreed upon me'? Therefore it says 'and I will separate you from the nations to be Mine' that your separation from them should be for My name, he separates from the transgression and accepts upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven".

D.

E.

A Jew has, as it were, the same possibilities as a non-Jew&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;,

and nevertheless he separates and accepts upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven.

13.

From the above we can derive a special lesson in the greatness of care and alacrity of love of Israel and how much one must be devoted

to do with a fellow Jew — because this virtue of "to be for Him a treasured people" exists in every Jew.

In whatever state a Jew finds himself in his revealed powers,

he is always, from the aspect of his own essential existence, completely separated from the ignorant,

being "a shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to glory" from the Above

(as is said at the conclusion of the haftarah⁵⁸)

Therefore every Jew is an eternal reality

(All Israel have a share in the World to Come ⁵⁹)

and a reality of "

(arose B)

thought" which is <b>for himself </b>

(not like all of creation⁶⁰

which <b>by the word </b>of the Lord the heavens were made⁶¹,

that the matter of speech is for <b>the other</b>⁶²

(; rather one must bring forth the essential quality from concealment into revelation.

And in particular in the week when we read in the Torah the portion of Ki Tavo and the aforementioned haftarah,

And especially when the day of the 18th of Elul — the birthday of the "two great luminaries"⁶³,

of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe — falls out

(as the

determination of this year)

in the week of the portion of Ki Tavo,

which from the fundamental principles of the teachings of Chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe is — Ahavas Yisrael⁶⁴,

one has a special empowerment to effect on a Jew,

every Jew,

that his essential quality of "and Hashem has distinguished you today to be for Him a treasured people" should be revealed in him in the manner of "to keep all His commandments" in practice; and also to bring out in him in revelation the concept of "and to set you high above all the nations which He made" until "and that you be a holy people to Hashem your God",

to be completely above and separate from every matter of gentileness,

including the "gentile that is within you"⁶⁵

and through this one enhances the concept of "make Me king over you",

that it becomes apparent to all eyes how "Hashem, God of Israel, is King",

that also gentiles see that Jews are a treasured people,

And from this — to the fulfillment of the destiny in the prophecy of Yeshayahu in the haftorah of our parshah,

until the conclusion: "I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it" — speedily in our days, literally.

(From the sichah of Shabbos Parshas Tavo 5740)