Part I: The Mystery of the Missing Seventh Nation
In Parshat Ki Tisa, a curious detail arises in the verses regarding the conquest of the Land of Israel. While we know there were originally seven nations (as promised to Avraham), the Torah here mentions only six.
Rashi’s Question: Why the Repetition?
Rashi notes that the seventh nation, the Girgashi, is missing because they "stood up and fled" on their own before the Israelites arrived. However, the Rebbe asks a classic "Rashi-style" question:
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Rashi provides this explanation twice in nearby verses.
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Why repeat the same commentary?
The Rebbe’s Insight: Conquest vs. Influence
The Rebbe explains that the context of the two verses is different:
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The First Verse: Refers to the physical act of driving the nations out. Rashi explains that only six were driven out because the seventh left voluntarily.
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The Second Verse: Refers to the danger of the Jewish people being influenced by the leftover idols and traditions of these nations.
Even if the Girgashi left, we might worry about their spiritual "residue" or the possibility of them returning. Rashi repeats the comment to emphasize that the Girgashi were completely gone—leaving no physical or spiritual foothold for the Jewish people to worry about.
The Spiritual Anatomy: The Seven Emotions
In Chassidus, the seven nations represent the seven emotional attributes of the animal soul (Chesed, Gevurah, etc.).
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The Goal: To conquer our "internal land" and turn it into Eretz Yisrael (a place where G-d's will rules).
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The Struggle: Most of us struggle with negative emotions—anger, lust, or pride. Refining these internal feelings is a lifelong process.
The "Girgashi" of the Soul
The Girgashi represents Malchut, which manifests as our "garments": Thought, Speech, and Action.
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If a person perfectly refines their six inner emotions (becoming a Tzadik), their thoughts and speech (the Girgashi) automatically "flee" from negativity.
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For the rest of us, we must work in reverse. We might not feel holy in our hearts yet, but we must ensure our "garments"—what we say and do—are aligned with the Shulchan Aruch (Jewish Law).
Key Takeaway: Even if you haven't perfected your heart, stay on guard. Keep your actions and speech holy, and eventually, the internal landscape will follow.
Part II: The Knot of the Tefillin
The second Sicha addresses the moment Moshe asks to see G-d’s glory. G-d tells him, "You cannot see My face... but you shall see My back." The Sages explain that G-d showed Moshe the knot of His Tefillin.
What is a Knot?
The Rebbe explains the symbolism of a knot in two profound ways:
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The Strength of Teshuvah: Imagine a rope connecting us to G-d. When we sin, the rope breaks. When we do Teshuvah (repentance), we tie the two ends together. Where is the rope strongest? At the knot. Through Teshuvah, our connection becomes "doubled and quadrupled"—stronger than it was before the break.
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The Power of Memory: We often make a knot in a handkerchief to remember something. The Rebbe suggests that we only fail spiritually because we forget who we are and our connection to G-d.
Why the Knot?
G-d showed Moshe the knot to teach him how to elicit a Divine response. When we "double down" on our prayers and create an intense, knotted connection through our commitment, G-d responds in kind.
Summary
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The Six Nations: We learn that while refining our hearts is a long journey, we have immediate control over our actions and speech. We must drive out negative behavior even while we are still working on our inner feelings.
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The Divine Knot: Our bond with G-d is meant to be unbreakable. Even when we stumble, the "knot" of Teshuvah makes us stronger and serves as a constant reminder of our true identity.