English translation — שמיני ג

A.

In the first chapters of the Laws of Uncleanness of Foods, the Rambam states the conditions when foods become susceptible to uncleanness:

In the first chapter he writes the first two conditions

(which pertain to all foods)

a)

"Any food that is designated for human consumption ..

receives impurity, and anything that is not designated for human consumption is pure"<sup>1</sup>.

b)

Even a "human food" does not receive impurity unless it is first <b>made susceptible </b>to receive impurity — "it does not receive impurity until it is first moistened with one of seven liquids, and this is called 'making susceptible,' as it is said<sup>2</sup>

'And when water is put on seed'"<sup>1</sup>.

Afterwards,

in the second chapter³,

the Rambam writes a third condition

(in relation to "foods that grow from the ground"⁴)

— that "they do not become susceptible to impurity until they are detached,

but as long as they are attached, even with a small root from which they can live, they do not become susceptible to impurity."

It is known⁵

that from every law in the Torah one can derive a lesson in divine service.

Because in addition to the simple meaning of each law,

there is also the interpretation of the law in spiritual service.

And this lesson applies to every individual because the Torah was given to everyone.

That this is also one of the interpretations in the verse⁶

"And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes <b>to fear </b>the Lord" — so the purpose of <b>"all </b>these statutes"

(whichever commandment or halacha it may be)

is — <b>"to fear </b>the Lord"

(that from this one should come to fear of the Lord)⁷,

because from every halacha in the Torah one can extract a lesson in a matter of "to fear the Lord",

fear of Heaven.

And likewise in our matter,

that the three aforementioned conditions in connection with ritual impurity of foods,

there is their parallel in the service of man to his Creator.

2.

It is explained in several places,

that the definition of impurity is only there where there is holiness,

or at least the possibility of holiness.

As the Alter Rebbe says in Shulchan Aruch⁸

(in connection with touching without washing hands in the morning),

that "regarding the touch of non-Jews there is no concern, because this spirit of impurity does not desire to dwell except in a vessel of holiness in a place from which holiness has departed, etc."⁹

And the reason for this is: from the aspect of creation,

for impure shells was designated a most constricted vitality,

and therefore they "push" themselves to the place of holiness in order to receive from holiness an additional sustenance of vitality,

by bringing down the person into

(shell)

impurity, G-d forbid.

But this is not the case in a place where there is no holiness

(additional),

there is no effort

(additional)

on the part of the impurity to rule there¹⁰,

because there is no abundance of vitality from which they can receive an additional sustenance.

And this is the inner content in the first condition of impurity of foods — that specifically "food of <b>man</b>" is susceptible to impurity:

The title "Adam" is indeed

after the verse

"I will be like the Most High",

and therefore Jews are called by the name "Adam" — "You are called Adam"

— because a Jew is "like the Most High",

similar,

as it were,

to the Supernal Man on the throne.

And this means "food designated for human consumption": eating in a broader sense means — all human needs

; and "food of <b>man</b>" means — these matters which are the "needs" of the <b>man</b> within him,

his soul which is "like the Most High",

and that these are the matters of Torah and mitzvos.

And through this it also becomes "food of man" — of the supernal man on the throne, as it were.

And as known¹⁶

that through the Torah and mitzvos of a Jew below, one is, as it were, "sustaining" the Above

(in the manner of offerings which are called¹⁷

<b>"My bread </b>for My fire").

Since these are such matters that are "designated for the food of man" <b>the supernal — </b>the forces of impurity endeavor to cause the man who is similar to him below to stumble,

the Jew,

in order to receive from him

(from the abundance of holy vitality within him)

an additional suckling of vitality.

Therefore,

it is possible that into this a matter of impurity may snatch itself in, G-d forbid,

But not so: “Anything that is not designated for human food is pure and does not receive impurity.”

Since it is not connected with the Supernal Man on the throne,

holiness*¹⁷

— there is no effort from the opposite side there,

there is no impurity there¹⁸,

as explained above.

In addition to this there is

(the Rambam adds)

a second condition,

that even a “human food” does not receive impurity “until it is first moistened with one of the seven liquids”:

Water

(drinks)

indicates influence and effluence.

As we see it in the nature of water,

That: a)

Water descends from a high place to a low place¹⁹

— this is the matter of kindness and influence²⁰,

that the "high" lets itself down to the "low" in order to influence it.

b)

Also in relation to foods,

is the action of water

(drinking)

that it spreads the food throughout the entire body²¹,

which is why Chazal say²²

"One who ate and did not drink, his eating is blood."

3.

c)

The nature of water is to adhere²³

— the moisture of water effects a connection and adhesion between separate things.

In the service of man it means: At the time of the service of a Jew

(his "foods")

is

(not like a dry thing,

but)

with "moisture",

then it does not remain with him alone,

but it also affects the Jews around him,

until that he descends even to a low one in order to influence him.

It turns out,

that when the "food of man" — the matters of Torah and mitzvos

(as above section b)

— are connected with the quality of water,

they are done with a moisture that causes that the light of holiness should increase also among other Jews — there is an <b>increase</b> in this vitality of holiness.

And therefore the effort on the part of the husk is to cause a matter of impurity <b>specifically</b> when the "food of man" has been prepared to receive impurity through the "that it be wetted first with one of the seven liquids" — because specifically in this there is an increase of vitality of holiness,

from which the husk wishes to receive an additional suckling

(which one does not find with foods)&lt;sup&gt;24&lt;/sup&gt;

— due to the special superiority of liquids,

that they possess the quality of influence and connection with the other,

which is one of the signs and boundaries of the side of holiness — influence&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;

(opposite of "withholds and does not bring forth"&lt;sup&gt;25&lt;/sup&gt;)]

But not so when the "food of man" has not been made susceptible through water,

there is not in it such a multitude of vitality of holiness,

and consequently it does not receive impurity

(because the husk does not "push" itself to dwell there).

4.

After all this — a question and claim can arise:

The Most High placed a Jew into this physical world,

which is called "the world of kelipot and sitra achra"²⁶,

and "the wicked prevail in it"²⁶.

In addition, one says to a Jew,

that the more he will exert himself in his service to be an influencer in his environment — the <b>more</b> is the effort on the part of the kelipah to cause him to stumble etc.²⁷

(so that they should receive an additional nurture, G-d forbid)

; while the one who does not exert himself in his service to influence does not need to guard himself from impurity!

One must say that surely the Almighty gives advice and a path for a Jew how he can protect himself from the matter of impurity

(and protect himself even more than one who does not exert himself properly in the service of God).

On this comes the third condition in impurity of foods — "All foods that grow from the ground ..

as long as they are connected, even as a small root from which they can live, they do not receive impurity

(even if they were prepared with water)

This means in the service of man: at the time of the "food of man"

(service of man)

is in a manner that it is connected with its place of growth,

even if it is a "small root

(but)

from which they can &lt;b&gt;live &lt;/b&gt;from it",

then it is — "they do not receive impurity".

5.

The explanation in this:

All actions and matters of the service of G-d

("food designated for human consumption" the upper one)

their root and source is — the place from which they "grow" — the innerness of the soul,

the point of Judaism,

which no impurity can touch,

G-d forbid; not only can it not become impure <b>in actuality</b>,

but moreover — it is not susceptible to impurity,

not at all <b>in the category</b> of impurity.

And as is known from the saying of our Nesi'im²⁸,

that "Modeh Ani...

is said before washing the hands even with impure hands,

because all the impurities in the world do not defile the Modeh Ani of a Jew.

He may be lacking in this or that,

but the Modeh Ani remains whole"²⁹.

Because the "Modeh Ani" of a Jew is connected with the point of Judaism within him³⁰.

And as the Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya³¹

that the power of faith and self-sacrifice

(which come from the point of Judaism)

is whole in every Jew,

therefore "even the lightest of the light and the sinners of Israel give their lives for the sanctity of G-d"³²,

"even if it is only to do some act alone against the faith in the one G-d, such as bowing to idolatry even though he does not believe in it at all"³³

— because the point of Judaism of a Jew does not allow that one should touch even the <b>"edge of the impurity of </b>idolatry, G-d forbid"³⁴.

And upon this comes the directive,

that the "foods" must be connected with the place of their growth,

the point of Judaism: it is not enough that the point of Judaism

(by itself)

remains whole,

rather the faith and self-sacrifice must permeate his actions in the service of G-d.

Until there is discernible in the actions the vitality that comes from the innerness of the soul.

6.

And this is what the Rambam says,

that "as long as they are connected, even by a small root from which they can live, they do not receive impurity."

During the service of a Jew, it is in a manner that it has a connection with its place of growth,

the inwardness of his soul

— even if this is only "like a small root": all roots were cut off,

i.e.,

and by him there remained only one "small root"; but since this is a "small root³⁵

from which one can <b>live</b>" — then through him vitality can be drawn from the inwardness of the soul —

are "not susceptible to impurity".

Because just as the true inner essence of the soul is above matters of impurity,

so too is it revealed in the "foods" — the matters of man in Torah and His commandments,

which receive vitality,

permeated with the vitality of the inner essence of the soul — that also they should not be able to be touched by any impurity; and to such an extent,

that "foods that were made susceptible when they were attached to the ground ..

is not susceptibility"³⁶

— it cannot even become <b>susceptible</b> to receive impurity,

so repelled is the matter of impurity regarding it.

And it can be said that this is also the explanation in the words of the Mishnah³⁷

that the service of a Jew must be like "a tree whose branches are few and whose roots are many, so that even if all the winds of the world come and blow upon it, they do not move it from its place" — that the main virtue is in the multitude of <b>roots,</b>

which connect the actions of man in Torah and His commandments with their place of growth,

the inner essence of his soul³⁸,

and this instills a strength and force in his service,

so that <b>nothing</b> can move him from his place — "all the winds of the world come and blow upon it, they do not move it from its place".

7.

As is known, every matter in the service of G‑d begins from <b>Torah.</b>

And likewise in this matter — that in order to accomplish the connection of the actions of man

(in thought, speech and deed)

with the inwardness of the soul — it is through that in his study of Torah there is the introduction of <i>Barchu baTorah</i>,

<i>Barchu baTorah</i> <b>first</b>³⁹,

drawing down into Torah,

the open connection with the root and Giver of the Torah — the Giver of the Torah

(present tense),

And this is the general root for the entire Torah, all of it.

Torah must indeed come down and permeate all details and limbs — and that is the connection of <b>the revealed </b>part of Torah

(which is analogous to the matter of foods — "he fills his belly with meat and bread"⁴⁰)

with <b>the inner dimension </b>of Torah.

The difference between the revealed part of Torah and the inner dimension of Torah is⁴¹

In the language of the Zohar&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;

the revealed part of Torah is the body of Torah,

the inner dimension of Torah — the soul of Torah.

And correspondingly — the revealed part of Torah speaks,

clarifies laws and matters of the "tree of good and evil"&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;,

therefore the study itself is in a manner of pilpul and difficulties etc.,

until there are matters of dispute etc.&lt;sup&gt;44&lt;/sup&gt;

— i.

e.

it is relevant to this a matter of concealment and hiding of the truth of Torah.

But not so the inner dimension of Torah is the Tree of Life — "a tree of life for those who grasp it, where there is no difficulty etc. and no dispute etc."⁴³

; it is above the category of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

And therefore,

in order that a person's study of Torah should be in a manner of "it becomes for him an elixir of life"⁴⁵,

that it should not be study for the sake of provoking, G-d forbid,

a matter of the opposite of life,

and even not to a subtle level of not for its own sake⁴⁶

— it is through that his study of the revealed dimension of Torah is connected with study of the inner dimension of Torah,

the Tree of Life.

And "great is study that leads to action"&lt;sup&gt;47&lt;/sup&gt;

— through the connection of the revealed and the inner in Torah,

there is thus opened up also in his overall service,

that there becomes the connection of the revealed actions in his soul

(his "foods")

with the inner aspect of his soul,

and consequently he comes into a state that he is

(even)

not in the category of being able to receive impurity.

And this is the immediate preparation for the fulfillment of the prophecy "and the spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth"&lt;sup&gt;48&lt;/sup&gt;,

in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach,

speedily in our days, literally.

(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Vayishlach 5745)