English translation — תבא

תבא

(תנש"א)

<pg>37</pg>

A.

"Said<sup>1</sup>

Rabbi Yochanan<sup>2</sup>

Three keys are in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, that were not entrusted to an agent, and they are: the key of rains, and the key of childbirth, and the key of the resurrection of the dead.<sup>3</sup>

The key of rains, as it is written<sup>4</sup>

"The Lord will open for you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season, etc." In the West they say: also the key of livelihood.<sup>5</sup>

As it is written<sup>6</sup>

"You open Your hand, etc." And Rabbi Yochanan, what is the reason he did not count this? He said to you: rains also<sup>7</sup>

is livelihood."

And superficially it appears,

that R' Yochanan speaks in generalities,

and in a general manner "rains are also livelihood",

and as Rashi explains⁸

"that seeds and fruits grow from them

(from rains)

for the sustenance of the world",

and in the West they specify more⁹,

and therefore they counted "livelihood" as a separate key,

for although in general rains are the source for the sustenance of the world,

nevertheless, since in particular there is livelihood that is not through rains

(and likewise conversely,

there are such rains that do not pertain to livelihood directly,

that do not fall in a proper measure¹⁰

so that seeds and fruits grow from them¹¹),

therefore they counted "livelihood" separately.

But it does not seem so from the style of the Gemara's words "And R' Yochanan, what reason did he not count this? He said to you etc.'",

for the plainness of the language indicates that there is here a dispute and they are two opinions in this matter.

2.

And it can be explained in elucidating the reasoning of the dispute,

by prefacing the resolution of the commentators' question¹²

on the words of R. Yose "He said to you: rain is also livelihood",

for R. Yose himself says later¹³

"Rain for an individual, livelihood for the many,

rain for an individual, as it is written: 'The Lord will open for you His<pg>38</pg>

good treasure to give rain to your land,

livelihood for the many, as it is written¹⁴

'Behold, I will rain down for you bread',

behold, that also according to R. Yose rain and livelihood are two separate matters.

And one could say,

based on what Rashi wrote in his commentary on the words of the Gemara there¹⁵

"Rain for the sake of an individual,

that if rain is needed only for one person, such as one who planted after the planting time of other people, or who lives in a city that is entirely gentiles and needs rain, it comes in his merit,

but sustenance, abundant goodness, and livelihood for the entire world does not come into the world in the merit of one, but only for the sake of many,

that if many need satiety that blessing be sent in the produce, the Holy One, blessed be He, does so if they are worthy,

but an individual who needs that his produce be blessed, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not change the law of the year for him, but rather according to its blessings,

and even though He brings down rain for an individual to improve his produce so that it not be inferior to that of others, but to make his field like a field of satiety — no."

And accordingly, it is understood that the intention in "sustenance" there is for a special flow that is in the manner of satiety,

and thus it is understood that only in this manner are sustenance and rain two separate matters.

And in one gloss of the Maharsha there he explains "Rain, which is nothing but the need for livelihood and is given naturally from heaven, if there is a need for it for an individual, it is given to him by his merit,

but livelihood itself in a manner that comes from heaven, such as the manna and the well, is a miraculous thing and comes only for the sake of the many."

And based on this, it would be possible to explain the difference between the opinion of Rabbi Yosi and the Westerners,

that Rabbi Yosi who said "Rain is also livelihood" speaks about regular livelihood,

not in a manner of special satiety,

and not livelihood that comes in a revealed manner from above,

whereas the Westerners who consider livelihood as separate,

refer to livelihood that is a special influence from the Holy One, blessed be He, which comes only for the sake of the many.

But according to this, the question of the Gemara is still difficult: "And Rabbi Yochanan, what is the reason that he did not count this?"

That is, why did Rabbi Yochanan count only livelihood that is included in rains

(and here there are only three keys),

and did not also count this key of livelihood that is not included in "rains",

and it is a key in itself that comes from Hashem and is not entrusted to the hand of a messenger?

3.

And therefore it seems to me that Rabbi Yochanan and the Westerners both speak about that same type of "livelihood",

except that they disagree in reasoning whether "livelihood" needs a special "key",

or is included in the "key" of rains.

And the explanation of the matters:

"rains" and "livelihood" in general,

they are descriptions of the influence of food and human needs,

and the difference between them is,

that "rains" indicates the influence of livelihood from above,

"and I will give¹⁶

your rains in their time",

while the term "livelihood" generally describes the reception of the influence,

that a person is sustained and nourished from this influence.

And so it is also simply,

that the "rains" come from above and cause growth etc.,

but not so "livelihood" comes through the work and action of man,

plowing, sowing, and reaping etc.

And according to this,

the difference between R. Yishmael and the Westerners is,

that R. Yishmael speaks about the "keys" of the things as they come from the Holy One, blessed be He,

the Giver,

and therefore he counts only "rains" and not sustenance

(for sustenance is not the influence of the Holy One, blessed be He, in itself,

but rather this is the work of man, that the influence of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be received by him)

; while in the West they speak also according to that which is from the side of the receiver,

as the <pg>39</pg>

influence of food becomes "sustenance",

and therefore they counted also "sustenance".

And according to this explanation,

the correspondence to the number of keys is also understood,

that in the Land of Israel there are three keys,

and in the West they have four¹⁷

: the difference between the letter gimmel and the letter daled is

(as it is stated in the Gemara¹⁸)

— "gomel dalim",

that is, the letter gimmel indicates the cause of the influence, the "One who bestows kindnesses"¹⁸,

and the letter daled indicates the "dalim",

the recipients of the influence.

And from this it is also understood regarding the gematria of these letters — the number three and the number four,

that the number three indicates the giving,

as it is from the perspective of the giver

("gomel"),

whereas daled indicates as it is from the perspective of the recipient

(the "dalim")¹⁹].

D.

But still, an explanation is needed,

for the content explained in this sugya is about "keys in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, that were not given into the hand of an agent",

that is,

that the definition of these "keys" is that they all come from the Holy One, blessed be He,

and there is no hand of an "intermediary" in between,

and if so, what is the interpretation that "in the West they said, even the key of livelihood",

that they considered "livelihood" as a key in itself because livelihood is a matter that depends on and relates to the work of man

(and therefore it is not a detail in the key of "rains")

— for according to this, how can it be said that this is a "key" that is only in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He?

And we must explain this with an introduction to what our Sages explained²⁰

regarding the descent of rains that come from above,

that one of the reasons for this is so that "all should lift their eyes heavenward."

That is,

that the sustenance of the creatures depends on rains that come from above and not on something that is in man's own power to do

(as in the land of Egypt,

where the irrigation of the fields is "by your foot"²¹),

causes in them a proper recognition that all their sustenance and vitality

(and not only the rains)

is through the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself.

[And this is also the virtue of the Land of Israel over other lands,

that "the Land of Israel the Holy One, blessed be He, waters Himself,

and the entire world [is watered] through an agent"²²,

that in the Land of Israel it is openly evident that all the flow of vitality from above is solely through the Holy One, blessed be He,

but outside the Land it is possible to err²³

that there is also a place for the "agent",

and also for man's talents and virtues, etc.]²⁴.

And from this it is also understood regarding our matter,

that this that the key to rains was not given into the hand of a messenger

(and "rains also means livelihood"),

its meaning is,

that in truth all of a person's livelihood is only from the Holy One, blessed be He,

in a manner that there is no place of grasp for anything apart from Him,

and also not for the garments of nature that a person does so that through them he can receive his livelihood from the Holy One, blessed be He.

And this that "man goes out to his work<pg>40</pg>

and to his labor until evening"<sup>25</sup>

in the business of livelihood,

it is only to fulfill the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, "and He will bless you<sup>26</sup>

the Lord your God in all that you do",

"Six<sup>27</sup>

days you shall work and do all your work".

And furthermore: Not only does the person know that the essential influence comes only from above,

"The blessing<sup>28</sup>

of G-d enriches",

and all his deeds are only<sup>29</sup>

"vessels of reception" for the blessing of G-d

(like the oil vessel of the miracle of Elisha<sup>30</sup>,

whose entire purpose was only to contain the miraculous oil),

but moreover,

that even the "vessels" have no importance even as "vessels"

(and garments)

to contain the blessing of G-d,

and He makes them only because of the command of the Holy One, blessed be He,

and thus they are entirely secondary to the blessing of G-d,

which is a blessing that is entirely above nature.

5.

However, this recognition itself can be explained in two ways<sup>31</sup>

:

A)

Man's actions and garments of nature have no importance at all.

For just as in miraculous conduct it is seen and revealed in practice that the laws of nature have no existence at all — so too in that exact same manner it is also when the influence from the Holy One, blessed be He, comes through garments of nature,

And like the manna that descended³²

from the heavens³³

;

B)

Even though man's actions and the vessel he makes have no spatial grasp in themselves, and he does it only because of G-d's command,

nevertheless, because of G-d's command itself they have importance,

that through them His will, blessed be He, is fulfilled.

In a different style: his faith is absolute certainty that everything comes only from the Holy One, blessed be He,

and consequently he is in complete trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, that He will give him everything from His full, open, holy, and broad hand,

but also this matter that the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that he do an action in this in a natural way,

he knows that this too is with precise intention,

and this is to know and recognize that even nature itself and man's action in this,

come from Him, blessed be He,

aside from the essence of the influence that comes from the Holy One, blessed be He.

And it can be said that they are the two manners: whether the key of livelihood is considered a key in itself,

or it is included in the key of rains:

to R. Y. "rains

(also)

that is livelihood",

for all garments of nature and also man's actions in this,

they have no place-occupancy at all — and this teaches us,

that in relation to the matter of livelihood all his actions in this are a detail in the influence of the Holy One, blessed be He, to man;

And "the Westerners say even livelihood, as it is written: You open Your hand etc.",

And that is that also man's actions in this come from the Holy One, blessed be He, and it is a matter in itself.

And this also pertains to man's knowledge and recognition,

that the garments of nature and man's doing are not only a thing that has no existence in itself,

but this itself comes from the Holy One, blessed be He.

<pg>41</pg>

6.

And according to this, the connection to the disputants is also explained:

Our sages, of blessed memory, said³⁴

"One who sees Yochanan in a dream, miracles, miracles were performed for him"

(For a name that has one nun indicates a miracle,

And a name that has more than one nun indicates many miracles³⁵).

And therefore Rabbi Yosi³⁶ holds,

that sustenance is included in rains,

because from the perspective of his level,

"miracles, miracles",

he sees in every matter of the world only the miracle within it.

And this is the concept of "miracles, miracles",

that the miracle is not only in a thing that appears openly as a suspension of the natural order,

but also in the conduct of nature,

from the perspective of the level of Rabbi Yochanan, it is in its innerness only a miracle that comes from above.

However "in the West they say" that the key of rains is a key in itself,

that "the West",

its meaning is a specific place in the world,

and our sages, may their memory be blessed, said<sup>37</sup>

the Shechinah is in the West.

And this is that even though "the whole earth is full of His glory"<sup>38</sup>

and our sages, may their memory be blessed, said<sup>39</sup>

there is no place empty of Him,

that all existence of place is nullified to Him, may He be blessed,

nevertheless "the Shechinah is in the West",

that this "place" has a special inspiration,

until the existence of the place itself is Godliness<sup>40</sup>.

And therefore the people of "the West" hold that also the garments of nature,

"livelihood",

are a matter in itself that is in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He<sup>41</sup>.

7.

18 Elul — the birthday of the two great luminaries,

the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe<sup>42</sup>

— falls in most years in the week

(or on Shabbat)

of the portion of Tavo<sup>43</sup>.

And the matter of the two owners of the birthday,

corresponds to the two aforementioned modes of serving God: through the Baal Shem Tov in the general teachings of Chassidut; and through the Alter Rebbe in the teachings of Chabad Chassidut<sup>44</sup>

:

The innovation that was revealed by the Baal Shem Tov in the general teachings of Chassidus is — an addition of general vitality in the observance of Torah and mitzvos.

And therefore one of the matters that was emphasized in the general teachings of Chassidus is<pg>42</pg>

The matter of faith,

"And the righteous shall live by his faith"<sup>45</sup>.

Now this faith is general and in the aspect of encompassing,

That is, even when the faith is in such a manner that it is not in the aspect of encompassing literally

(That it has no effect on the person — and a thief at the entrance calls out to the Merciful One<sup>46</sup>),

But rather it effects vitality in all his affairs,

And even to actual conduct,

Now all his powers are not a matter in themselves but rather a detail in the revelation of faith.

And our master, the elder, in the revelation of the teachings of Chabad Chassidut, innovated

(in continuation of the revelation of the general teachings of Chassidut of the Baal Shem Tov),

that not only will the point of faith be felt also in Chabad etc.,

but that this also becomes a matter in itself,

that the entire existence of Chabad

(intellect)

that is in his soul is that he apprehends Divinity,

and likewise with the emotions in the heart, whose existence is not only a place of revelation of the point of faith

(a detail in the revelation of faith),

but that this is their very existence,

love of God and fear of God.

And this too is in accordance with the revelation of the unity of God⁴⁷

as it was revealed by the Baal Shem Tov and as it was drawn down and revealed by our master, the elder:

Through the Baal Shem Tov was revealed the matter of "There is nothing besides Him"⁴⁸

that there is no existence besides Him, blessed be He,

and it is also felt in the service of God,

that there is no place of grasp for His service,

but rather all of him is a revelation of the point of faith in his soul that exists in every Jew from the aspect of his soul,

which is above the existence of man;

And through the Alter Rebbe was revealed the matter of the unity of God also as it is from the aspect of the world,

that not only is the existence of the world not a contradiction to His unity, blessed be He,

but rather through the world is revealed the depth of God is One,

that the existence of the world is unified in Him, blessed be He,

and as is explained at length in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah of the Alter Rebbe.

And so it is also in the service of man,

that not only are all his powers in accordance with the point of faith in the One G-d,

but rather this is the entire existence of his intellect,

that the intellect itself, from its own essence, recognizes and feels the unity of G-d from its very existence,

for the existence of the intellect itself is not a thing separate from Him, blessed be He.

And so it is with all the powers of his soul.

And this matter comes specifically through the toil and service of man,

service specifically with his own power,

to understand and comprehend the unity of G-d also in his intellect, and even to the intellect in his animal soul,

and through contemplation this is drawn also into his emotions,

love of G-d and fear of G-d,

in a way that the love and fear are connected to the existence of the emotions in the heart,

and so it is with all the powers of his soul,

that it is seen and recognized that the true existence of every power in the soul, its essence, is G-dliness.

And by this "your wellsprings will spread forth"

(of the Baal Shem Tov)

outward⁴⁹,

which is done

(primarily)

by means of its extension in Chabad within the soul in the teachings of Chabad Chassidus,

and from there to the middot and to the heart, dividing to all the limbs⁵⁰,

comes Master, this is King Moshiach⁴⁹,

and immediately and at once, literally.

(From the sicha of Shabbat Parshat Balak 5741)