008 —ביאור

Ketzas Biur Al Pi Mekosheish Eitzim HaNizkar Le'eil.

Behold, the explanation of 'they do the will of the Makom (the Omnipresent)' etc.—for 'Makom' refers to the level of memale kol almin (the Divine that fills all worlds): He is the place of the world, but the world is not His place. 'Hinei Makom Iti' ('Behold, a place is with Me'), 'Lechi u'ma'ati atzmeich' ('Go and diminish yourself')^[1]—so that she (the moon) became the head of the foxes, to give life to Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah, the aspect of place.

And the will of the Makom—that is the Kesser of Rachel. For^[2]—the Kesser of Rachel is in the heavens, Zeir Anpin is her husband. And her lower nine sefirot alone descended below into the world of Beriah.

[See what is written about this in Parshas Bamidbar, and see Mikdash Melech on Parshas Bechukosai 113b in the name of the RaShaSh: nine parts in Beriah, etc. See there.]

And from midnight, the point of Rachel (see Mikdash Melech Parshas Emor 94a) is under the bed (see Yonat Elem 93), praising and singing with wondrous longing, a Divine lamp that rises of its own accord in cleaving and yearning, to be included in one of His attributes, which is in the level of Atzilus, where He and His attributes are one, as explained above.

As it is written: 'Lema'an yezamercha kavod... le'olam odecha' ('So that my soul may sing praise to You... I will thank You forever')—for King David, peace be upon him, was a chariot for the level of Malchus and always recited songs and praises, in order to make a vessel for her so that she could sing.

And this is 'Mizmor leDavid.' As the Zohar explains (Kedoshim 84a) regarding David being beautiful, etc. And this is 'velo shachich' ('and it is not forgotten'), etc. Therefore, it is possible that the service of love, 'bechol nafshecha' ('with all your soul'), as mentioned above, and still, one does not yet do the will of the Makom, as explained above, meaning the love of Hashem for the level of sovev kol almin (the Divine that surrounds all worlds).(Specifically, this is Atik of the Nukvah, meaning, as explained above, that the Kesser of the Nukvah is called the will of the Makom, and below this is the level of 'bechol me'odecha.' And the aspect of the nine lower sefirot of the Nukvah is below, the level of 'bechol nafshecha,' etc.. This can further be understood from what is written elsewhere on the verse: 'Ki al kol kavod chuppah.'^[3]The glory of the bride is the love of 'bechol nafshecha,' so that my soul may sing praise to You, etc. And 'bechol me'odecha,' the will of the heart—this is the aspect of chuppah and makif, etc., the Kesser of the Nukvah, etc. And through an awakening from below, there is an awakening from above that draws down the revelation of sovev kol almin, etc. See there.

And this is 'doing the will of the Makom,' similar to 'those who do His word and then to hear,' as explained in the discourse 'Besha'ah shehikdimu,' mentioned above), which is 'ubechol me'odecha.'

Therefore, it is stated regarding the aspect of 'ubechol nafshechem' ('with all your souls'), 've'asaphta deganecha' ('and you shall gather your grain'), etc.—because one is still at this level, to elevate holy sparks scattered in business, plowing, sowing, etc.

And this is what Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, peace be upon him, said:^[4] 'A person plows at the time...'—this is only the rectification of the Nukvah, the aspect of Makom, as explained above. But in the future: 'V'amdu zarim vera'u...' ('Strangers shall stand and pasture...')—they will be secondary to Israel, fulfilling the mitzvos that women are obligated in. As it is written: 'Ki az ehapoch el amim safa berurah...' ('For then I will turn to the peoples a pure language...')^[5]—and they too will be able to ascend, but only as secondary to Israel through plowing and sowing.

But Israel themselves, because they will be in the aspect of 'ubechol me'odechem' ('with all your might'), that is, the longing and will of the Makom for the level of sovev kol almin, will not be able to lower themselves to rectify the aspect of Makom, but will eat from what is prepared.

(See Likkutei Torah Parshas Behar on the reasons for the mitzvah: for during the weekdays, etc., there are two realities and preparations, etc., and in the seventh year, etc. See there.And see what is written on the verse 'Vehayah midei chodesh' regarding Rosh Chodesh, which is not called in the verse 'yom hama'aseh' (a day of work), etc. See there for the reason.)

Whereas eating is a different matter, for this aspect exists above as well: 'Achlu re'im' ('Eat, friends')^[6], and also below, it strengthens the mind, drawing down from above time into time through Torah.

However, this is for the future. But now, we hold like Rabbi Yishmael, who says: 'Conduct yourself with them in the way of the world.' As it is written: 'Ve'asaphta deganecha' ('and you shall gather your grain'), 'be'aspcha migornecha' ('when you gather from your threshing floor'), etc. And our sages said: 'Many acted like Rabbi Yishmael and succeeded.'

And the Bechaye asks about the term 'mekosheish'—shouldn't it be 'melaket' (gatherer)? Therefore, he explains: it hints at 'mekav vav shesh' (a line of six), meaning he separated among the six upper directions, which are the six upper attributes, etc. See there.

This can be explained based on what our sages said^[7] (Shabbos 89a) on the verse: 'Ki boshesh Moshe' ('for Moshe delayed')—six hours passed and he did not come, etc. And in the Midrash Rabbah Ki Sisa 41:156b. And in Parshas Beha'aloscha, near the end: (265c) 'and here, six hours and more passed and he did not descend,' etc. And see in Zohar II, Ki Sisa (191b), Pekudei (236b), and in Ra'aya Mehemna, end of Parshas Shoftim (275a).

And in Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 13 (24b): that they separated between six, which is the middle pillar, the aspect of Tiferes, which includes six directions, and between seven, which is the aspect of His kingship, about which it is said: 'Sheva bayom hillalticha' ('Seven times a day I praise You')^[8].

The intent here is similar to those who say: 'Azav Hashem es ha'aretz' ('G-d has abandoned the land')^[9] and gave control to the constellations and stars, whose root is from the four camps of the Shechinah: the face of a lion, the face of an ox, etc.

Therefore, they made the form of an ox, etc. And they said: since Egypt was lost, for they served the constellation of Aries, but the constellation of Taurus is stronger than Aries, since its root is from the face of the ox, from the left. As it is written in Midrash Rabbah Ki Sisa 42: 'They remove one of them and anger Him with it'^[10], as it says: 'the face of the ox from the left.' And they separated the supernal unification of 'Hashem Hu HaElokim.' And all this was done by the Erev Rav (mixed multitude).

But regarding Israel, it is said: 'Am zu yatzarti li'^[11] (Yeshayahu 43:21), and as it is written in Midrash Rabbah Parshas Emor 27 on the verse: 'Shor o kesev' ('an ox or a sheep')^[12], Rabbi Levi said: a parable to a matron who was accused with one of the great ministers, and the king investigated and found nothing to it, etc.—therefore, the ox was made the head of all the offerings. See there^[13].

And see in Menachos 53b^[14] regarding 'Let this one come and receive this from that one for this nation.' And the explanation is that they are called 'am zu' ('this nation') because they unite the supernal unification of 'Hashem Hu HaElokim' by believing in Divine providence. As it is written: 'Mi kaHashem Elokeinu hamagbihi lasheves hamashpili liros bashamayim uva'aretz' ('Who is like Hashem our G-d, who sits on high, who lowers Himself to look in the heavens and the earth')^[15]. And the constellations and all the hosts of heaven have no power of their own; they are only agents of influence, like an axe in the hand of the woodcutter. As is explained in the discourse 'Shuvah Yisrael.'

And this is the meaning of 'am zu'—the joining of the seventh attribute, called zayin and called earth, with the vav, which is the Tree of Life, and is also called heaven—which is the drawing down from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, through the middle pillar, etc. As the saying goes: 'Yachid chai haolamim melech' ('The unique, living King of the worlds'). And as explained in Ra'aya Mehemna there. And this is the idea of 'am zu kanita' ('this nation You acquired'). (See Midrash Rabbah, end of Parshas Bamidbar, 226d; Zohar II, Ki Sisa 188a.)

Similarly, we can understand the sin of the mekosheish (gatherer of sticks), who separated the Tree of Knowledge from the aspect of the Tree of Life. And this is the idea of 'mekav vav shesh'—similar to the above. And see Mikdash Melech Parshas Shelach 157a. That is, he separated between the vav and the hei of the Divine Name.

And this is the meaning of 'she'ani shechorah she'shezafani hashemesh' ('I am blackened because the sun has scorched me')^[16]. The Zohar III, Parshas Acharei 59b, explains: 'I did not look at the sun to be illuminated by it,' for the sun is the sun of Hashem. And in Parshas Tazria 45b: 'she'shezafani'—it should have said 'shezafani,' but it is a hint, for it hints at 'shesh' (six)—when the sun shines with six lights, it illuminates. And when all those six lights depart, they are gone.

And see above on the verse 'Naso es rosh bnei Gershon' regarding 'sasgona'—rejoicing in many colors, etc. See there. And see also on 'she'shezafani hashemesh' in the discourse 'Shechorah ani v'na'ava.'

However, this departure is only as mentioned in Midrash Rabbah, end of Shir HaShirim, on the verse: 'Berach dodi v'domeh lecha l'tzvi' ('Flee, my beloved, and be like a gazelle')—just as a gazelle, when it sleeps, one eye is open and one eye is closed, so too, when Israel does the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, He looks at them with both eyes, as it says: 'Einei Hashem el tzaddikim' ('The eyes of Hashem are upon the righteous'). And when they do not do the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, He looks at them with one eye, as it says: 'Hinei ein Hashem el yera'av' ('Behold, the eye of Hashem is upon those who fear Him').

And see there in the commentary Zera Avraham in the name of R' Shimon Alkabetz. And see what is written in the discourse 'Ki tishma bekol' regarding: 'la'asos hayashar b'einei Hashem' ('to do what is right in the eyes of Hashem').

Summary

This maamar delves into the mystical significance of the 'mekosheish eitzim' and the concepts of 'makom' and Divine will, explaining the spiritual dynamics of the Jewish people's service in this world and the next. The Rebbe teaches that true unity and Divine revelation come through connecting the inner and encompassing lights, and through faith in G-d's providence.