English translation — עמוד 1114

A.

On the verse "For man is the tree of the field" it says in Sifri¹

: "It teaches that a person's life is only from the tree"

(The verse teaches us that the life of the man is only from the tree).

And at first glance,

it is not understood: a person lives, after all, by feeding himself also from other foods,

not only from those that come from a tree?

In Likkutei Torah²

the Alter Rebbe explains the verse³

"And bread sustains the heart of man",

that although a person is nourished also from meat,

nevertheless he is not satisfied with meat as with bread.

The reason that the inanimate,

vegetative and animate can nourish the person - although the human,

the speaker,

is higher than them - is because their root is higher than the root of the human,

and because their root is higher,

therefore specifically they have come down lower.

And because the vegetative is even lower than the animate - which proves that it has a higher root - therefore it satisfies the person more than the animate.

(This is also the reason that among the two types animate and vegetative - the animate is nourished and receives its vitality primarily from the vegetative).

3.

A person is called a "small world"⁹.

4.

5.

That all things which exist in the world,

in the great world,

they also exist in the person.

So too, just as the world is divided into four types: inanimate,

living and speaking,

so too in the person there exists the division into the four types,

as is explained in several places¹⁰.

And the character traits of the person are in the category of the vegetative in man,

because in character traits there is growth,

they grow from smallness to greatness¹¹.

The advantage of a person over a living being consists in the intellect that the person has¹².

And although also the categories of inanimate,

vegetative,

vegetative,

living that are in a person are much higher than the same categories that are in the great world¹³,

nevertheless the superiority of the person does not consist in this.

His superiority is that he is a possessor of intellect.

And this the Gemara asks: "And is a person a tree of the field?" - It is true indeed that in a person there is also the matter of "tree of the field" — vegetative,

character traits — but is this then the superiority of a person?

After stronger is the question of the Gemara,

according to the known¹⁴,

that a person is called with four titles: Adam,

Ish,

Gever and Enosh.

The highest title of all these four is - Adam¹⁵

(because the title "Ish" indicates the character traits of the person,

and the title "Adam" - on his intellect¹⁶).

Asks the Gemara,

"And is a man a tree of the field?" - Are then character traits the ultimate goal and perfection of a person,

because of which he is called with his highest title,

"Adam"?

To this answers the Gemara,

that the purpose of the person's intellect is,

that he should come down and influence his character traits,

that the character traits should conduct themselves according to the intellect.

And this specifically is the perfection of man¹⁷.

Intellect alone does not bring perfection to the person; the purpose of "and you shall know today",

of understanding and knowing Godliness,

is in order to come through this to "and you shall bring it back to your heart" - the intellectual understanding should influence the heart

(place of the character traits).

And the Gemara gives it to understand with a parable of a tree: just as the virtue of a tree consists in the fruits that it produces¹⁸,

so too is it regarding "Adam"

(the title of intellect),

Torah scholar: the virtue of a Torah scholar is then when he is a "fitting one",

the intellect should influence his character traits,

which then give a vitality in the fulfillment of the commandments - "what are the fruits of commandments"¹⁹.

4.

The small world

(the human)

is similar to the great world: just as in the great world the human is primarily nourished from vegetation,

because vegetation has a higher root than the inanimate

(and even than the living)

; only because it fell lower, the human must elevate it.

But after the human has elevated it, the vegetation influences the human and gives vitality to the human,

because of its high root — so too is it with "human" and "vegetation" in the small world: the emotions have a higher and deeper root than the intellect<sup>20</sup>

; only because in revelation the emotions are lower,

the intellect must influence them,

in order to clarify them and refine them,

so that then the emotions influence the intellect and bring an elevation in it <sup>21</sup>

and he reaches his purpose,

as said earlier,

that the perfection of "and you shall know" is when it brings about "and you shall take to your heart".

This is also the connection of the explanation of the Sifri with the explanation of the Gemara: in both explanations it is the same point — the elevation in the inanimate that comes through the vegetation.

Only the Sifri speaks about human and vegetation of the great world,

and the Gemara speaks about "human" and "vegetation" of the small world.

5.

A deeper explanation in the above-mentioned discourse: Since the advantage of man over animal consists in his intellect,

that intellect is the essence of man,

it is understandable,

that that which man is a small world and he is comprised of all the categories: inanimate,

vegetative,

animal and speaking,

it is not only that the human,

in general,

possesses the four categories,

but also that the intellect,

the essence of man,

is a small world which has in itself all these four categories²².

There is an "inanimate" in intellect,

a "vegetative" in intellect,

an "animal" in intellect and a "speaking" in intellect.

And the difference between the terms "Ish" and "Adam" is in the intellect itself: "Ish" describes a lower type of intellect,

the part of intellect that is related to the emotions²³,

and "Adam" describes the essence of the intellect,

which is higher than having a relationship to the emotions²⁴.

And this is what the Gemara asks: "But is a man a tree of the field?"

True indeed that there is little of the "you shall know",

one must also have the "and you shall bring back to your heart",

but for this the intellect that is related to the emotions — Ish — is sufficient,

and for this one need not use the essence of the intellect — the aspect of Adam in the intellect; the essence of the intellect is, after all,

apparently,

not its concern to influence the emotions.

And the Gemara answers it with the verses "From it you shall eat and it you shall not cut down etc.",

"It you shall destroy and cut down":

Exactly as with a tree,

although in actuality the fruits grow only from the blossoms which emerge from the branches,

not on the body of the tree and all the more so not on its roots

(for they are much too high to produce fruits)²⁵,

nevertheless,

it is understood,

that in order for the fruits to grow,

they must also reach the body and root of the tree,

and also their purpose is for the sake of the fruits,

therefore a tree which does not produce fruit — “destroy and cut down”

(the root and body)

— the same is also regarding the “man” in the intellect: although the essence of the intellect is higher than to be a source and have a direct connection to the emotions,

nevertheless the “man” of the intellect also affects the emotions,

and even in a much deeper manner than the effect of the aspect of “man” in the intellect,

and even more: the purpose of the essence of the intellect is to act upon the emotions.

6.

The effect of the influence upon the emotions from the side of the essence of the intellect — upon the influence upon the emotions from the side of the intellect that relates to the emotions,

is in two matters: a)

Intellect that relates to the emotions,

since the emotions in the heart occupy a place in this intellect,

they can cause a concealment upon the light of the intellect — when a person has a dullness of the heart,

the intellect cannot affect the emotions²⁶.

Not so the essence of the intellect,

since it is higher than the entire matter of the emotions,

it is not possible that they should be able to conceal upon it — it illuminates also in the heart²⁷.

Even when the intellect that relates to the emotions affects the emotions,

it cannot, however, change them completely,

since they occupy space in it,

no matter how much it refines them,

they remain still in their nature.

But the essence of the intellect,

can change even the nature of the emotions.

And this is the purpose of the essence of the intellect,

that it should change the nature of the emotions²⁸.

In this way is the general distinction between the revealed aspect of Torah and the inner dimension of Torah: the revealed aspect of Torah,

since it became clothed in physical matters,

is

(a)

it is possible that the study of Torah should not refine the person,

as the statement of our Rabbis, of blessed memory²⁹

"if he did not merit, etc.",

b)

also when the Torah does effect a refinement in the person who studies it,

he nevertheless remains within the framework of his "nature",

his own independent existence; because the revealed aspect of Torah was indeed given to him,

that he should comprehend it with his intellect.

But not so the inner dimension of Torah

(a)

it ultimately affects every single one who studies it,

as the statement of our Rabbis, of blessed memory³⁰

: "the light within it

(the inner dimension of Torah)³¹

returns him to the good"³².

(b)

It refines the person,

in a manner that he goes out of his "nature" and existence³³

; not only does the inner dimension of Torah improve and refine the character traits,

but it also changes the nature of the character traits²⁸.

7.

The instruction from this is: "May your springs spread forth outward"³⁴,

and the instruction is twofold: a)

There are those who argue: Why is it necessary to specifically spread the springs into the "outward"?

Each one must be given according to his worth,

and for those who are in the "outward",

it is sufficient if they are given "drawn water" or at least "mikvah water",

but not the springs.

To this the answer is — on the contrary,

in order to also reach the "outward",

one must give them specifically the springs,

because springs are not susceptible to impurity and concealment,

on the contrary,

they always purify³⁵.

(b)

b)

Others argue: Why should I occupy myself with the "outward"?

I will be within my own four cubits,

and there occupy myself with the springs of the inner dimension of the Torah; what is the "outward" to me?

The answer to this is,

that specifically through "may [your springs] spread forth outward",

through spreading the inner dimension of the Torah outward,

will it become "your springs",

your springs.

Without this — that the springs come to him — they cease to be springs³⁶.

As discussed earlier,

that the purpose of the essence of the intellect is when it is drawn down and influences the emotions.

(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Beshalach 5722)