English translation — קדושים א

A.

When the verse¹

speaks about the reward for not eating the fruits of the first three years of orlah and for bringing the fruits of the fourth year²

to eat them in Jerusalem,

he says the phrase "ובשנה החמישית גו' להוסיף

(a lamed at its beginning)

לכם תבואתו" – that the intention and the purpose of the commandments is,

the increase of the produce that will be in the fifth year³.

From this it is understandable

(in the inwardness of the matters⁴),

that the fruits of the fifth year have in themselves a superiority not only regarding the fruits of the three years of orlah which are forbidden

(whose vitality is

(like all forbidden things)

from the three completely impure shells⁵),

but even regarding the fruits of the fourth year – although they are

(not only permitted for eating,

but moreover –)

"קדש הלולים להוי'",

that because of the superiority of the fruits of the fifth year,

the purpose of the commandment "ובשנה הרביעית גו'"² consists

– in that which "ובשנה החמישית גו'".

And as the Alter Rebbe explains in Likkutei Torah⁶,

that the fruits of the first three years are corresponding to the three worlds Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah

(from which there can be a suckling to the three impure shells⁷)

; "In the fourth year" – corresponding to the world of Atzilut

(and the four worlds Atzilut-Beriah-Yetzirah-Asiyah correspond to the four letters of the Name Havayah⁸)

; and "And in the fifth year etc. to add to you its produce" – is the "addition of the light drawn from the point of the yud of the Name Havayah",

which is higher even than the yud.

And as he says in Likkutei Torah⁶

"And it is the aspect of the crown".

One must understand: How is it that the fruits of the fourth year,

one must eat only in Jerusalem and they are "holy of praises to Havayah",

but the fruits of the fifth year – which have in them a higher quality than the fruits of the fourth year – do not have in them any holiness,

and one may eat them in any place and even in impurity?

2.

One will understand this by prefacing the story of the Baal Shem Tov,

which the Rebbe tells in the maamar beginning with the words "VeAtah Kadosh Yoshev Tehillos Yisrael"⁹.

And this is the language of the maamar:

The holy Baal Shem Tov, when he was still hidden and wandered from city to city and from village to village, it was among the holy Baal Shem Tov's holy services to ask every Jew,

men and women,

old and young,

how they are doing in health ..

in livelihood,

and he was very pleased to hear the answers dear to him that the Jews,

women and children, would answer him with various praises and expressions of G‑d,

Baruch Hashem,

praised be Hashem Yisbarach ..

Once it happened that the Rebbe the Baal Shem Tov came to a certain settlement,

the Rebbe the Baal Shem Tov conducted himself with his holy way in the service of the Blessed One to merit the Jews,

men,

men,

women and children,

with the great merit that they praise God blessed be He's holy name.

In that settlement there was a Jew a very deep elder a great Torah scholar,

a recluse from all worldly matters.

Already over a jubilee,

fifty years,

that he sits day and night and learns the holy Torah in abstinence and holiness.

All his years he is one who sits in fasting in tallis and tefillin until late mincha and only after the evening prayer does he taste a piece of bread with water.

When the Rebbe the Baal Shem Tov entered to the genius in the recluse's little room that was in a corner of the shul the Rebbe the Baal Shem Tov asked the genius how is it with him in health,

whether he has his needs and sustenance,

The genius did not look at the Rebbe,

who was dressed like a simple villager,

not look around,

The Rebbe asked the questions several times until the genius became very angry and makes to the Rebbe with the hand pointing at the door that he should go away.

Says the Rebbe the Baal Shem Tov to the genius,

Rebbe why do you not give, as it were, His sustenance etc.¹⁰.

Hearing these words the genius remained as if bewildered.

Something a Jew a villager speaks about, as it were, that one must give, as it were, sustenance and so forth.

The Rebbe the Baal Shem Tov perceived the thoughts of the genius,

he says to him,

The Jews sit on the livelihood that Hashem Yisbarach gives them,

on what kind of livelihood does the kavyachol sit,

This tells us David Hamelech in Tehillim Ve'ata Kadosh and You holy one on what kind of livelihood do You sit,

Yoshev Tehillot Yisrael,

The kavyachol sits on the Jewish praises that Jews praise Him Baruch Hu for the health and livelihood that He Baruch Hu gives them.

And for the praise words that Jews praise Hashem Yisbarach He Baruch Hu gives them banei chayei umezonei revicha.

3.

One must understand: True indeed that in order that the "Ve'ata Kadosh"

should be "yoshev

which the drawing down is called "by the term yeshiva like hayoshev shemashpil komato"¹¹],

there must be the avodah of Jews – but,

at first glance,

one can accomplish this also through limud haTorah¹²,

Today why did the Baal Shem Tov say to the Gaon,

who had studied Torah day and night for a period of over a jubilee¹³

years,

"Why do you not give the, so to speak, His sustenance etc." – and especially since also then,

at the time that the Baal Shem Tov said this to him,

he was in the midst of studying?

And even if one will already explain that the "And You are holy" applies specifically through "praises of Israel" – still, the Baal Shem Tov could have aroused the Gaon that he should praise the Most High for that which he studies "in abstinence and in holiness."

Why did he need to ask him about physical matters

(health etc.)?

But the explanation of this is:

The ultimate purpose of creation is,

that there should be a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He, in the lower realms¹⁴,

that from the lowly matters one should make a dwelling place for the Most High.

And this very "dwelling place" is established

not so through the study of Torah,

or through praising the Most High for the study of Torah – because the study of Torah is primarily related to the "upper" aspect that exists in a Jew,

to the divine soul – but rather]

through praising the Most High "for health and livelihood" – matters which pertain to the body and the animal soul¹⁵

: through the fact that Jews "perceive" that

(also)

their material needs come from the Most High and they praise Him for it – through this one makes a dwelling place for Him, blessed be He, in the lower realms.

And therefore,

when the Baal Shem Tov saw how the Gaon sat in a seclusion-room,

separated from all worldly things,

not having to do with his body,

the animal soul and his portion in the world – with "lower ones"

(for that which he ate was only for the necessity of his existence,

but he did not occupy himself with refining the body,

the animal soul and his portion in the world),

he said to him "Why do you not give the Holy One, blessed be He, His livelihood"<sup>16</sup>

it should be fulfilled the desire of the Holy One, blessed be He, to have for Himself, blessed be He, a dwelling place in the lower realms.

And therefore the Baal Shem Tov said,

that "the Holy One, blessed be He, sits on the Jewish praises that Jews praise Him, blessed be He, for the health and livelihood that He, blessed be He, gives them"<sup>17</sup>.

4.

According to the above, one will also understand that the ultimate elevation is not yet in the fruits of the fourth year — which are holy and eaten within the wall,

but in the fruits of the fifth year¹⁸

which are eaten in any place and even in impurity^y19

Through the fact that a Jew knows,

that even the fruits which are not "holy",

also they are dependent on the blessing of God

the increase in the grain that the Almighty has given him],

and consequently he surely praises the Almighty for this²⁰

— this praise to God,

is the "praise of Israel" which cause the "and You are holy, sitting",

that the "and You" — which refers to Essence²¹

— is "holy" and separate,

is "sitting"

(and drawn down below)

in a dwelling place in the lower realms.

(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas K'doshim 5725)