English translation — תשא א

A.

In the current Torah portion¹

is written the command to make the laver.

With which the laver is distinguished from all the other vessels of the Mishkan,

about which it speaks in the previous two Torah portions²

— although also the laver is a "main element in the building of the Temple"³,

and regarding anointing with the anointing oil it is further in the Torah portion counted together with the other vessels and upon all of them together the verse says "they shall be holy of holies"⁴.

Now why is the command of making the laver stated,

separately from the other vessels?

The commentators say⁵,

that this is because it is

(<b>not</b> a matter in itself,

but)

a preparation for "when they come into the Tent of Meeting" and "when they approach the altar".

And this is the difference between the laver and all the other vessels of the Mishkan that comes to expression

(not only in the place of the command regarding the making of the laver in <b>Torah</b>,

"And you shall make a laver",

but also)

in the place where the laver stood in the <b>Mishkan</b>:

The place of all the vessels of the Mishkan was in the Tent of Meeting.

Also the copper altar,

which was in the courtyard,

it was, however, standing "at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting"⁶.

But the laver was not standing at the entrance of the Tent, rather it was set off to one side,

so much so that — <b>"There is no </b>laver before the Tent of Meeting"⁷

(because of which one could approach it for the washing of hands and feet,

even though "between the Entrance Hall and the Altar" one

(according to some opinions⁸)

was not allowed to enter before the sanctification of hands and feet⁹).

2.

Thus the matter,

that the laver is a preparation for the entirety of the work of the Mishkan,

is expressed also in the measure of the size of the laver:

From the verse "And from it Moses and Aaron and his sons shall wash"¹⁰

(where four people are counted: "Moses and Aaron two, and his sons two"¹¹)

the Gemara learns¹²

: "Any laver that does not have enough in it to sanctify four priests from it, they do not sanctify with it."

And seemingly: Moshe should have needed to wash from the kiyor only during the days of the miluim

(according to the opinion ¹³

that afterward he did not serve in the priesthood),

and later the kiyor pertains only to Aharon and his sons,

then why should the kiyor <b>for generations</b> need to hold water for <b>four</b> people,

also corresponding to Moshe

(and as brought the question in the commentators of the Talmud there)?

And it can be said the explanation in this¹⁴

: The days of the miluim were a preparation for the totality of the service of Aharon and his sons later.

And since also the kiyor its essence is preparation for the totality of the service,

as above,

its measure must therefore be "to sanctify four kohanim",

not only "corresponding to Aharon and his sons",

who sanctified from the kiyor <b>after</b> the days of the miluim,

but also "corresponding to Moshe",

(<b>All</b><b>¹⁵</b>

kohanim at the time of the inauguration of the Mishkan,

<b>all</b>)

who sanctified from it during the days of the miluim,

the time of preparation.

From this it is understood,

that although the laver was only a preparation for the service,

nevertheless in it there was a special quality,

higher than the other vessels of the Mishkan,

and because of this quality specifically in it there was a matter that alludes to Moses,

who is indeed higher also than Aaron.

Moreover: above Moses together with all the priests who were at that time.

3.

These two extremes of the laver

— so from one side he is merely a preparation,

and on the other hand, specifically in him is found the essence of Moshe

(and all the priests)

openly

(which is not present in the other vessels of the Mishkan)

are also alluded to in the "mirrors of the legions",

from which the Kiyor was made:

On one side,

the mirrors of the hosts are a very low matter,

so that even Moshe Rabbeinu,

although he is "Ohev Yisrael"¹⁶,

loathed them "because they are made for the evil inclination"

they are not at all in the category of "Pekudei HaMishkan"]

; and nevertheless,

specifically about the "mirrors of the hosts" did the Almighty say "These are beloved to Me <b>more than all</b>"*¹⁶.

D.

The explanation in this is:

Already spoken many times¹⁷,

that the novelty of "And they shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst"*¹⁷

consists in this,

that Jews should take <b>physical</b> things and from <b>them</b> make a Sanctuary for the Most High,

so that in these

(thirteen¹⁸

or fifteen¹⁹)

physical things there should be "and I will dwell <b>in their midst</b>",

that through this will be completed the matter of "desired²⁰

the Holy One, blessed be He, to have for Himself a dwelling place <b>in the lower realms</b>".

And since the intention of "a dwelling place in the lower realms" is indeed until the lowest "that there is no lower beneath it"²¹,

therefore there had to be in the Tabernacle also a matter of "mirrors of the legions",

which are "made <b>for the evil inclination</b>",

so that also <b>that</b> lowest one should become a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He.

But nevertheless, Moshe despised this,

because Moshe "prophesied &lt;b&gt;in this&lt;/b&gt;"&lt;sup&gt;22&lt;/sup&gt;,

that is,

that with him there was perception of &lt;b&gt;the essence &lt;/b&gt;of Divinity,

he wanted that the revelation of "And I will dwell in their midst" should be in a manner of perception of &lt;b&gt;the essence&lt;/b&gt;.

And because the things which are connected with the animal soul and the evil inclination,

even after they become clarified,

are concealing and hiding the perception of the essence

regarding the matter of "a non-luminous specularia"

(a glass with a covering of a "thin and tenuous thing" — a mirror),

that although specifically through the mediation of the covering that is upon it,

a person can see behind him,

which through a "luminous specularia" one cannot see it — but the thing seen through a non-luminous specularia is &lt;b&gt;not&lt;/b&gt; the object itself,

but rather a "likeness",

a "reflection" of the object.

And likewise regarding the clarification of the animal soul: although specifically through the clarification of the animal soul

(in the aspect of a non-luminous speculum)

a new light is drawn forth that is higher than the light drawn through the performance of the commandments

(in the aspect of a luminous speculum),

however the light is not so revealed and it shines only in a manner of "likeness"],

therefore Moses

(who "looked into the luminous speculum"²⁴)

did not want that in the Tabernacle there should be the mirrors of the women

(the aspect of a non-luminous speculum²⁵),

so that the "And I will dwell in their midst" should be in a manner of "this",

revelation of the essence²⁶.

And that the intention is "dira &lt;b&gt;btachtonim&lt;/b&gt;" — is however regarding the level of Moshe

(which to &lt;b&gt;that&lt;/b&gt; level he wanted to elevate &lt;b&gt;all&lt;/b&gt; Jews),

are already also the other things of the donations of the Mishkan

(and in particular "nechoshes"&lt;sup&gt;27&lt;/sup&gt;)

sufficiently "tachton",

through which will be completed the intention of "dira btachtonim"&lt;sup&gt;28&lt;/sup&gt;.

To this the Almighty answered him,

that in the Mishkan one must have also such a "tachton" that is "made for the evil inclination",

And on the contrary&lt;sup&gt;29&lt;/sup&gt;

: when one utilizes the lowest tachton to establish "tzivos Hashem" — as through the "maros hatzovos" they established "tzivos rabos beMitzrayim"&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;

— which tzava indicates the service of "kabbolas ol"&lt;sup&gt;30&lt;/sup&gt;,

which service illuminates in revelation,

specifically when there is an evil inclination etc. and then one strengthens oneself&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;

against it in the manner of kabbolas ol&lt;sup&gt;32&lt;/sup&gt;

— this is "chavivin alai min hakol".

5.

Just as the "mirrors of the legions",

although in revelation they are lower than the voluntary offerings of the Mishkan

(and as mentioned above sec. 3 that they are not counted among the "countings of the Mishkan"),

they are however "beloved above all";

So too is the Kiyor

(which was made from that)

: although it is merely a preparation,

which from that aspect it is in revelation lower than all the other vessels of the Mishkan

(and the commandment of making the Kiyor is not counted together with the commandments regarding the other vessels of the Mishkan³³),

But the preparation of "and they shall wash their hands and their feet" — that a Jew washes himself off from the undesirable matters — this washing is beloved before the Most High more than the service itself that he does later on the altar or in the Tent of Meeting³⁴,

Because specifically in the washing there is the concept of "subjugation of the sitra achra" — analogous to the "hosts of Hashem"

(acceptance of the yoke)

which comes out through the "appearances of the hosts".

And this is also the reason that specifically by the yiyur is hinted³⁵

also the matter of Moshe

(And all the kohanim)³⁶

Because specifically in this matter of itkafya and Kev"a is revealed the truth

(And his completeness in all the details — of)

the matter of bitul³⁷,

the matter of Moshe³⁸

(And with the addition of Aharon and all the kohanim — their service in secret³⁹

— bitul — and Aharon separated Holy of Holies⁴⁰

— which stands on all the kohanim).

(From the maamar and sicha of Shabbos Parshas Vayakhel 5719)