English translation — נח-ז' מ"ח

1.

7 Marcheshvan¹

falls out always²

in the week that follows Parshat Noach.

And according to the known that the days of the week have a connection to the Shabbat that precedes them,

from which they are blessed³,

it is understood,

that the content of 7 Marcheshvan has a connection⁴

with

(and at least is hinted in)

the matters⁵

of Parshat Noach.

7 Marcheshvan is the day when "we ask for rains — fifteen days after the festival,

so that the last one among Israel may reach the Euphrates river"⁶,

that is,

that is,

until this day there was still among Jews a <b>continuation</b> of the state of the pilgrimage for the festival of Sukkot.

And this is in addition to that which

(in the language of the Shach⁷)

"<b>It is considered</b> <b>for them</b> as if they are still in the Land of Israel <b>occupied</b> <b>with the matters</b> <b>of the festival</b>",

only because so is the matter according to the Torah of <b>truth</b> — and in the language of the verse⁸

"And no man shall covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God",

which encompasses the entire time — from the beginning of their pilgrimage until their returning back to their places literally⁹,

and that is until 7 Marcheshvan,

when the "last one among Israel" reaches "the Euphrates river" the <b>border</b> of the Land of Israel.

And although from the 7th of Marcheshvan,

when every pilgrim has already come to his place under his vine and under his fig tree¹⁰,

one is seemingly in a state of descent relative to the state of "&lt;b&gt;your ascending&lt;/b&gt; to see the face of the L-rd G-d",

in the Holy Temple,

nevertheless, according to the directive of our Sages of blessed memory¹¹

"one ascends in holiness",

that a Jew must constantly go higher and higher,

from strength to strength¹²

— it must follow that in this too there is an advantage and ascent relative to the state of the pilgrimage ascent.

B.

The explanation of this

(as has been spoken several times¹³),

that specifically when a Jew comes to his house and his place and he occupies himself with the work of the land,

a man plows and a man sows¹⁴

and the like,

he then has the possibility to fulfill the commandments dependent on the land literally,

and to draw down holiness also into all his words and matters,

his material "deeds and ways" — a service which is not applicable when he finds himself during his pilgrimage ascent in Jerusalem¹⁵

and in the Holy Temple.

This is indeed an elevation in his service,

And with two — both from the aspect of the action of the person and from the aspect of the object:

Our Sages, of blessed memory, say¹⁶

The Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a <b>dwelling</b> <b>in the lower realms</b>,

Which is accomplished through the fulfillment of the commandments with <b>physical</b> things,

And especially with the commandments that are dependent <b>on the Land</b>, field and vineyard, etc.

When a Jew takes physical things,

Which are in themselves not "objects of heaven",

And fulfills a commandment with them and makes them into an object of commandment and holiness and the like — then a dwelling is created thereby for Him, may He be blessed, <b>in the lower realms</b>,

That <b>His holiness</b> of the Holy One, blessed be He, is drawn down and takes hold through the lower things.

And likewise regarding the person: being in Jerusalem and in the Holy Temple,

there the Jew is not engaged

in the service with physical things

("lower ones").

He finds himself in a place that is holy from the outset,

and he has to do mostly with matters of holiness.

There his main service is: "Every male shall appear before the Lord God"¹⁷

— seeing Divinity¹⁸.

It turns out,

that specifically on the 7th of Marcheshvan,

when every Jew comes to his place,

there is the advantage in the service of the person in the lower ones literally — every Jew becomes a <b>messenger</b> to carry out the matter of "the Holy One, blessed be He, desired" which cannot be carried out

(to that extent)

(to that extent)

by the pilgrimage; and also the advantage in the object,

<b>in the article</b>,

that he makes a <b>dwelling</b> for the Most High <b>in the lower ones</b>.

3.

And although this quality in the service of Israel from the 7th of Marcheshvan onward

(regarding the state and service of Israel of the pilgrimage)

is this indeed so according to the truth

(in the inwardness and ultimate purpose of the matters)

from the aspect of the will of G-d and His intention, may He be blessed — &lt;b&gt;in revelation&lt;/b&gt; however, and as it is felt by every Jew,

is nevertheless the service of the Children of Israel from the 7th of Marcheshvan onward still connected with a state of descent,

and a great descent — from the most elevated standing and state of "every male among you shall see the face of the Lord, G-d",

"just as one comes to see, so he comes to be seen etc."&lt;sup&gt;19&lt;/sup&gt;,

to the state and service of being occupied with the service of the land and mundane matters etc. — with toil and exertion in simplicity,

and also a service of labor and trouble in spirituality.

A Jew indeed feels that he is not in the elevated state of the Holy Temple,

"before G-d"&lt;sup&gt;20&lt;/sup&gt;.

Is together with this "feel" Jews also the great quality in this.

And in the manner that we find regarding the entry of Bnei Yisrael from the desert into Eretz Yisrael:

Being in the desert,

the Jews had no worries about their material needs: they received everything ready-made,

from the Above,

both regarding food and drink

(manna,

bread from heaven²¹,

water from Miriam's well²²),

both regarding clothing — the Clouds of Glory that "would press their garments and iron them"²³.

In such a situation they could have devoted themselves entirely to spiritual matters,

study of the Torah etc.²⁴.

But unlike this, upon their entry into the Land,

when then they no longer had manna from heaven and they had to occupy themselves with working the land — "for you shall come to the land etc. six years you shall sow your field etc."²⁵,

and all the labors connected with this: every Jew had to be occupied to provide for his needs in food and drink and clothing etc.

And in such an order of life,

it is, after all,

of course,

much harder to devote oneself to spiritual matters.

Until that the spies

(from this reason)

persuaded Jews not to

(want)

enter Eretz Yisrael

(as explained in the books²⁶).

4.

Nevertheless, one finds,

that after the sin of the spies the verse says²⁷

(<b>in continuation</b> of this)

"For you shall come" which means,

as Rashi explains: "<b>He announced</b> <b>to them</b> that they would enter the land" — which superficially is not understood: It is true that after "the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and He spoke in a loud voice of wrath and fury until²⁸

How long [shall I bear] with this evil congregation etc. in this wilderness shall your carcasses fall etc. I am the Lord etc."²⁹

"their heart was humbled and broken within them"²⁹

and therefore they were ready to go immediately³⁰

into the land — but with what is the "you shall come" for them a <b>tidings</b>

(good),

since this is after all a descent relative to their level and state in the wilderness?

And especially being a "generation of knowledge"³¹,

they certainly did not chase after themselves,

"desire"

(to have a physical land and)

occupy themselves with physical matters.

Based on the above it is understood: Since specifically by coming into the Land of Israel they will have the ability to make from the objects of the world an object of holiness through the fulfillment of the commandments dependent on the land etc.

(And as our Rabbis of blessed memory said³²

regarding even Moses the man of God³³)

As the verse continues after "when you come" regarding the commandments of

(libations³⁴)

challah etc.

(not like in the desert where there they did not have to deal

(with so much)

with physical matters)

Thus was conducted then the <b>desire</b> of the Holy One, blessed be He, to have for Himself a <b>dwelling</b> in the lower realms.

And therefore,

in addition to this, that when a Jew knows that he is carrying out the will of the Most High

(whatever will it may be)

which causes a nachas ruach above,

as our Sages said³⁵

"Nachas ruach before Me that I said and My will was done",

this is a news

(good)

for every Jew and brings him joy,

And in our subject,

since the service is connected with "the Holy One, blessed be He, <b>yearned</b>",

with the delight of the Most High,

so when a Jew carries out the service, this becomes the "yearning",

the true pleasure of the Jew himself

says about them "And you who <b>cling</b> to <b>Hashem your God</b> are all alive today"³⁷,

there is heard in them, in the service of making for Him a dwelling place in the lower realms, the delight of the Creator,

until in a manner that this becomes their delight also openly].

And likewise it is understood regarding the service of every Jew from after the 7th of Marcheshvan,

upon their return to their homes,

that the ascent in holiness and the progression from strength to strength is not only in the service itself,

but also in their feeling, as it is said³⁸

"And they went to their tents joyful and good of heart"³⁹

and moreover — that which Jews feel in the service from after the 7th of Marcheshvan the delight of the Creator from the <b>desire</b> of the Holy One, blessed be He,

is a higher elevation than the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction which they have upon their pilgrimage seeing the revelation of the Divine Presence in the Holy Temple.

For pilgrimage is in a manner of a pleasure and satisfaction that has a <b>created being</b>; that a Jew has pleasure and satisfaction from the revelation of the Divine Presence⁴⁰

(similar to souls in the Garden of Eden which "<b>enjoy</b> the radiance of the Divine Presence"⁴¹).

But the pleasure and satisfaction in the service of the 7 shepherds — is connected with the "desire",

with the pleasure and satisfaction &lt;b&gt;to the Creator&lt;/b&gt;,

which the Jew "feels"

(&lt;b&gt;from&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;his self-nullification&lt;/b&gt;)

in his service&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;.

H.

One must, however, understand:

The 7th of Marcheshvan is indeed the time when the "last among Israel" arrives at the Euphrates River,

but all other Jews,

who live in the closer places in the Land of Israel,

arrived at their places in the earlier days,

until those who lived near Jerusalem arrived at their homes immediately after the holiday.

And accordingly,

since the vast majority of the children of Israel come to their homes before the 7th of Marcheshvan

(and only for a few individuals does the time of their arrival extend until the 7th of Marcheshvan),

it follows that for the overwhelming majority, the work in the field begins

("in the lower realms")

(a lot)

earlier —

But from the fact that the 7th of Marcheshvan was established according to the Torah of truth as the time for asking for rain for Jews in all of Eretz Yisrael

(and also in this time⁴³),

it is understood,

that specifically then begins the time of the aforementioned work

(from after the festival,

for superiority)

for all Jews in Eretz Yisrael.

6.

And one can say the explanation in this:

The Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya

the precise wording of Chazal "The Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling place <b>in the lower realms</b>" — that by "lower realms" is meant "this physical and material world literally" which is "lowest in level, that there is no lower beneath it in terms of concealment of His light, blessed be He."

And from this it is understood,

that in "this physical and material world literally" itself,

the main aspect of the "dwelling" is established in that "lowest, that there is no lower beneath it" in this world itself.

And based on this it is understood regarding our matter,

that when the "Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling place in the lower realms" is carried out,

it is not so much in completeness in the service of the Jews who are in Jerusalem

(and its vicinity,

where the holiness of Jerusalem shines)

— rather through the service of the Jews who find themselves in a distant place from Jerusalem — and this physical distance of place is connected with the distance of place in spirituality — where the face of Havayah,

the Divine light,

does not shine there as in Jerusalem

and its vicinity

(and as this is literally,

that the holiness of Jerusalem

and also its vicinity

is more holy than the places outside them).

Until this "lowest level, beneath which there is no lower" — the service of the "&lt;b&gt;last&lt;/b&gt; of Israel",

which is in the "&lt;b&gt;most&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;distant&lt;/b&gt; inhabited place from Jerusalem"&lt;sup&gt;49&lt;/sup&gt;.

7.

And moreover: the matter of the 7th of Marcheshvan

(when the &lt;b&gt;last&lt;/b&gt; of Israel arrived at his home)

pertains to &lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt; Jews&lt;sup&gt;50&lt;/sup&gt;

— because when there is the service also of the "last of Israel",

the "dwelling place for Him, blessed be He" is opened up more completely — among &lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt; Jews,

in all the land of Israel.

And in the analogy of a dwelling of flesh and blood down here⁵¹

: A person's dwelling consists of several rooms — a dining room,

a bedroom,

etc., up to the room that is exempt from mezuzah⁵².

That is,

even though the rooms are not equal in the importance of the use and dwelling in them: there are rooms in which is the main use and dwelling,

there are rooms that are only secondary⁵³,

up to secondary of secondary — nevertheless they are all included in one and the same <b>dwelling</b>.

That

is,

the <b>ownership</b> of the person,

as his <b>dwelling</b>,

is <b>equal</b> in all parts of the dwelling.

And specifically when there are

(not only the room in which he does his main use⁵⁴,

but also⁵⁵)

all the other secondary rooms,

then a single complete dwelling is formed⁵⁶.

And similarly⁵⁷

is this regarding, as it were, the dwelling of the Holy One, blessed be He⁵⁸

In the service of Israel there are several distinctions: Kohanim and Levites

(whose main service is in the Temple),

up to a High Priest whose home is in Jerusalem and he may not go out from Jerusalem forever⁵⁹

; and there is also the service of the Children of Israel which is not connected

(openly)

with the Temple and Jerusalem,

up to those whose main service is in the place farthest from Jerusalem,

by "the Euphrates River",

and through this they bring holiness into lower physical things⁶⁰.

And specifically through the service of all Jews in the various modes of service is, as it were, "assembled"⁶¹

one

(whole)

<b>dwelling</b> for the Most High.

That this matter is also expressed in &lt;b&gt;halacha&lt;/b&gt;: there are several laws related to Eretz Yisrael that are connected with the condition of "all its inhabitants upon it"&lt;sup&gt;62&lt;/sup&gt;,

such as Yovel and all the laws pertaining to it

(houses in walled cities,

ger toshav etc. that are practiced only at the time when Yovel is practiced&lt;sup&gt;63&lt;/sup&gt;).

And the meaning of "all its inhabitants upon it" is not only that all Jews must be in Eretz Yisrael "and not at the time when some of them are exiled"&lt;sup&gt;64&lt;/sup&gt;,

but "that tribes should not be mixed up with each other, but all should dwell &lt;b&gt;in their proper order&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;65&lt;/sup&gt;.

From which it is understood also regarding each individual tribe&lt;sup&gt;66&lt;/sup&gt;,

that at the time when "they dwell

(of each individual tribe,

it is)

in their proper order" then is the perfection of the settlement of the land,

as a dwelling place for &lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt; Jews

(and consequently this is revealed in that specifically then is the time of "freedom in the land for all its inhabitants"&lt;sup&gt;67&lt;/sup&gt;,

liberty for &lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt; Jews)&lt;sup&gt;68&lt;/sup&gt;.

8.

Based on this one will understand the reason why specifically 7 MarCheshvan is the time

(of asking for rain)

Which unites <b>all</b> Jews in the service of making for Him, blessed be He, a <b>dwelling</b> in the lower realms:

In the service of Bnei Yisrael in Yerushalayim and its vicinity in the time <b>before this</b>,

before one had the service of "there is no lower lower than it",

the concept of the "<b>dwelling</b>" is not yet present

(in its completeness),

because "the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling <b>in the lower realms</b>" specifically,

the "dwelling" of the Supreme One is in "there is no lower lower than it";

Afterwards, however, when "the last one in Israel reached the Euphrates River" and one has the service in the "lowest, beneath which there is no lower" — then it is revealed how the "dwelling place for Him, blessed be He" is opened through <b>all</b> Jews who are in all the Land of Israel⁶⁹,

both through the Jews who live in Jerusalem and its vicinity and also through the Jews whose place is <b>at the border</b> of the land,

at the Euphrates River "the most distant inhabited place from Jerusalem"⁴⁹.

Because,

as above,

the definition of a dwelling is <b>one</b> entity that is composed of several rooms.

9.

In this one also finds a wondrous matter regarding the unity of Jews:

Even though that at the time of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to the Holy Temple,

they all stood together in Jerusalem and in the Holy Temple in a manner of "every male shall appear" simply,

and also spiritually⁷⁰

they were all of one heart "to see the face of the Lord God";

But not so when each Jew came under his vine and under his fig tree,

until the 7th of Marcheshvan when also the "last of Israel" arrived at his place,

that

(in externality)

they were then not in a state of unity

(as during their pilgrimage),

being <b>separated</b> one from the other —

But

(in inwardness)

specifically then the true unity was revealed,

which creates the

(perfection)

holiness of the land through that which "all its inhabitants"⁷¹

and in a manner that they are intermingled.

And likewise in the completion of the intention of "the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have for Himself a <b>dwelling</b> in the lower realms",

that specifically through that which each one is separated from the other Jew,

both in his place and also in the manner of his service,

they make

(all together)

the <b>dwelling</b> for Him, blessed be He, <b>in the lower realms</b>.

Yud.

According to all this, one must explain the connection of the 7th of Marcheshvan to the portion of Noach:

Regarding the sin of the generation of the Dispersion⁷²

it is explained in the commentators on the Torah⁷³,

that they wanted that the entire settlement of human beings should be in one place, and therefore they wanted to build a city and tower which would unite them all together — and this was the opposite of the intention of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the creation of the world: "&lt;b&gt;Fill&lt;/b&gt; the earth and subdue it"⁷⁴,

that everywhere in the world should be recognizable the "He formed it to be inhabited"⁷⁵.

And therefore the result of this was — "And the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of &lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;the earth&lt;/b&gt;, and they ceased to build the city"⁷⁶,

which was not merely a punishment for their sin,

but rather with this was carried out the will and command of God from immediately at the beginning of creation,

that one should specifically be scattered "to the ends of the earth...

and not be in one place like the thought of the people of the generation of the Dispersion"⁷⁷.

And this is also the reason for the command of Hashem to Noach

"Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you, every living thing etc." and as he continues further

"<b>And fill</b> the earth",

Because in Noach's ark they were all in one place — and the intention is that it should be "and fill the earth".

And therefore,

as an introduction to the service of Jews,

beginning from the 7th of Marcheshvan when every Jew is specifically in his place,

and specifically through this the dwelling in the lower worlds is brought about,

one reads in the Torah

(in the sense of instruction)

the content of the matter as it is in the Torah portion of Noach,

that the intention is not that they should all be together <b>in one place</b>,

but rather they should be "scattered upon the face of all the earth",

until "<b>and fill</b> the earth".

And although that the dwelling in the lower ones is brought about specifically through the service of Bnei Yisrael in the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos,

one must however also prepare the world,

through that which the Bnei Noach fulfill the seven commandments and carry out the purpose of "to inhabit it He created",

with which the world becomes prepared and worthy⁸⁰

to become a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He, in the lower ones⁸¹

through the service of Jews⁸².

(From the sichah of Shabbos Parshas Lech, 5745)