002 —ביאור ע"פ את קרבני לחמי

Es Karbani Lachmi.

The verse states: 'Le'ovdah u'leshomrah'—that man is the one who makes Gan Eden. That is, he draws down the revelation of G‑dliness from the Infinite Light, blessed be He, so that Gan Eden comes into being.

Our Sages said: 'With the letter Yud the World to Come was created.' This means with Yud—constriction, a tiny point of light from the Infinite, blessed be He, Who has no end, limit, or boundary, and no thought can grasp Him at all. It is impossible for any created intellect to comprehend, so the souls only delight in His radiance, etc.

It is like the analogy of the brightness of the sun or a torch, which cannot be gazed at because of their brilliance. Similarly, regarding comprehension of the Infinite Light itself, no comprehension is possible due to its great brightness: 'Ki yashet choshech sitro' (He makes darkness His hiding place), and only through the constriction of a tiny point of light can there be any revelation.

(See what is written about this in the discourse 'Shechorah Ani V'Naavah,' 'Black fire on white fire.')

This is specifically the World to Come, which is the revelation of comprehension to a created intellect for delight. Therefore, the World to Come is built on the attribute of strict judgment. As explained in the books, this world is built on kindness—'Olam chesed yibaneh'—whereas the World to Come is strict judgment.

The sufferings of this world are called sufferings of love and kindness, for they cleanse. The sufferings of this world, such as loss of money or stubbing one's finger, are incomparable to the sufferings of Gehinnom, where the fire is sixty times stronger, etc. What one would deserve to be judged for in Gehinnom in the World to Come is offset by the lighter sufferings of this world, and this is kindness. But in the World to Come, punishments like Gehinnom are due to the attribute of strict judgment, to repay the wicked according to their wickedness. All this is because the World to Come, being the revelation of comprehension and delight of the souls, comes through gevurah and constrictions.

[It can be said that even chochmah, which is the aspect of Yud with which the World to Come was created, comes from the Infinite Light through gevurah and constrictions, and the light and flow only come through the aspect of 'hair,' etc. Their root is from the gevurah of Atik Yomin clothed in Mocha Stimaah. See what is written on Parshas Shelach on the verse 'Ani,' about the left-side hair, etc. See also the explanation on 'V'lo avah Hashem Elokecha lishmoa el Bilam,' about the arousal from below for constriction. This gevurah also comes through a person constricting himself in the aspect of 'nullify your will,' and this is the meaning of 'le'ovdah,' etc. See the explanation and meaning of 'Oved Elokim' in Tanya, chapter 15. This is 'Mah rav tuvcha asher tzafanta li'yerecha'—'tzafon' is the aspect of gevurah, through which the delight in Gan Eden is drawn down. See Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAhavah, chapter 6, 'li'yerecha,' etc., for if there is no awe, there is no wisdom; awe has the same gematria as gevurah: 'Who is mighty? He who conquers,' etc.]

This is the meaning of 'lehodi'a livnei adam gevurotav u'k'vod hadar malchuto'—the radiance of the Shechinah is His gevurot, which are constrictions through the chain of cause and effect, etc. Angels and souls are not alike; the camp of Michael is specifically in love, and the camp of Gavriel is specifically in awe, and they do not have Michael's love, only a different kind of love in another manner.

Although all receive from the Infinite Light, just as the soul's power spreads into the limbs, in the soul itself there is no division. Nevertheless, the power of sight is received by the eye, and the power of hearing by the ear, etc. The eye receives only the specific power of sight without any intellect, and intellect and comprehension reside only in the brain, without the physical power of sight. The ear receives only the power of hearing, etc. Similarly, with other limbs, each is different from the other, etc.

[See what is written in Parshas Shelach, in the explanation of 'Vehaya lachem l'tzitzis,' about separate intellects, etc.]

2) All the chain of cause and effect is in two aspects: makif (encompassing) and p'nimi (internalized).

[Makif is that which does not enter the vessel, for the vessel cannot contain it due to lack of comprehension, etc.] First, the makif is drawn down, and afterward the p'nimi. For the p'nimi is a slight ray from the makif that enters to become internalized. And from the higher p'nimi, it first becomes a makif for the lower, and then a slight ray from it becomes p'nimi.

This is the case in the entire order of the chain of worlds: from Imma to Zeir Anpin, and from Zeir Anpin, etc., for everything is in the aspect of makif and p'nimi, etc. Like the analogy of speech from thought—not all of one's thought can be put into speech, only a tiny part. Similarly, from intellect to emotions.

So too, from contemplation in prayer, it is impossible for the heart to be aroused to the full extent of one's comprehension and contemplation; rather, the power of understanding and comprehension is limited, etc. This is the aspect of 'igulim' (circles) and 'yosher' (uprightness). First, 'igulim' is drawn down, and then the form of 'yosher,' which is the aspect of man: the power of sight in the eye, etc., and 248 different limbs. In this, there is ibur (pregnancy), yenika (nursing), mochin k'tanim (small intellect), and mochin gedolim (great intellect). In contrast, in 'igulim,' everything is equal on all sides, etc.

In general, the influence and flow from the head of all levels is called MaH and BaN. The aspect of MaH is makif relative to BaN. Although MaH is also p'nimi, relative to BaN it is makif. The root of MaH is from the forehead of Adam Kadmon, and the forehead is always called the aspect of will. As it says, 'Vehaya al mitzcho l'ratzon' (it shall be on his forehead for favor). In the Zohar, it is called 'Rava d'chol ravin,' etc.

[See the explanation on 'V'asisa tzitz' at its end. And in the discourse 'Lamenatzeach al hashminis.' And in the explanation on 'Mi mana afar Yaakov.' And see elsewhere on the Zohar's statement in Parshas Naso (128b) about 'chamra tav d'shakit v'shachich al dardaya' regarding MaH and BaN in Mocha Stimaah. See the explanation on 'Moshe yedaber' about the name MaH. And in the discourse 'Inyan ha'avos hein hein ha'merkavah.' And in the explanation on 'Yonasi' about 'milgavo ihu shem MaH.' And in the explanation on 'V'henif haKohen osam al lechem habikkurim.']

The name BaN is the aspect of Nukvah—'shamor' for the feminine and 'zachor' for the masculine. For Malchus of the Oral Torah is called the aspect of Malchus BaN. However, MaH is the aspect of the Written Torah: 'B'chochmah is clarified.' The clarification is to make Gan Eden, that is, to draw down the Infinite Light, which is makif, to become p'nimi.

(See the discourse on 'Vayikach Korach' about the aspect of chochmah, in which the Infinite Light rests. And what is written in the discourse on 'V'ahavta es' and that chochmah is the power of MaH.)

The main drawing down is to be in the aspect of bittul (self-nullification), for the Infinite Light only rests in one who is truly nullified. MaH is complete bittul: 'V'anachnu MaH' (And we are nothing), etc. First, the clarification is to make the World of Atzilus, where anything not nullified does not have the revelation of the Infinite Light.

Nevertheless, it is pushed to the World of Beriah. Relative to the World of Beriah, the aspect of bittul is that angels and souls, as created beings, are nullified, although relative to Atzilus, this is not complete bittul for the great revelation as in Atzilus.

Afterward, it is pushed to the World of Yetzirah, until the ultimate clarification is in the lowest levels of Asiyah. This is the idea of bowing in Modim, bowing in general to be bent in the aspect of acknowledgment, etc.

Our Sages said: 'One who does not bow in Modim becomes a snake'—he is pushed to become a snake of klipah entirely, where there is no longer any good to clarify. And in the Zohar (Shelach 164a) and Sava d'Mishpatim (100a), it says he will not rise at the resurrection of the dead.

Therefore, in the World to Come, it is impossible to change one's nature from what was drawn down in this world, for the World to Come is the world after clarification, that is, after the drawing down from the makif of MaH to become p'nimi and the revelation of comprehension and delight to a created intellect, the good has already been clarified and separated from the bad, and the bad is completely pushed aside and separated to become destructive angels and harmful forces, etc.

This is not the case in this world, which is the world of clarification, where the MaH that clarifies shines in Torah and mitzvos, and one can change oneself and turn from bad to good.

[See what is written on 'V'atah yigdal na,' etc.]

This drawing down, the power of MaH to clarify BaN, comes from the supernal will, 'Rava d'chol ravin.' On this, it is said: 'There is no reason for will,' for it is above comprehension, etc.

This is 'nachas ruach she'amarti v'naaseh ritzoni'—that My will was done and the supernal will was drawn down, which has no reason or comprehension.

[It is possible that it is called 'nachas ruach' because 'ruach' is the aspect of air—the light of Yud, which is the source of the letters of Torah, as explained elsewhere in the discourse on 'Mezuzah mimin,' etc. See Zohar Terumah (178b) and Idra d'Naso 130b.]

This is the aspect of the Written Torah, which is above comprehension, for its essence is only the letters in their form and image, whereas the precise laws cannot be derived from the Written Torah alone. For example, 'U'keshartem le'os,' etc.—I do not know what it is, until the Sages came and explained: four sections, 'totafos' on the shoulders, etc., four compartments, their sewing, and their diagonal, etc. Similarly, a sukkah higher than twenty cubits, etc.—this is the aspect of comprehending the will, which is the vessel for the will, specifically in a measured way, as the Sages determined the limits of each mitzvah, what to do—then the supernal will rests and is revealed, and if not, it does not rest, etc.

3) Behold, there is no drop that descends from above without two drops ascending in response, etc.—these are chesed and gevurah. The five gevurot are five flames, the aspect of 'ishah'—the fire of Hashem. There must be the aspect of fire from below to above: 'ki ruach aytei ruach,' etc., 'smolo tachas l'roshi.' The face of the ox, which is on the left, elevates Knesses Yisrael, the source of the souls of Israel, and lifts it up: 'tachas l'roshi,' through the aspect of gevurot, the left side, the soul's fiery enthusiasm. From this comes bittul, which is higher than enthusiasm, for after the fire comes the 'kol demamah dakah' (a still, small voice), etc.

It says: 'Not in the fire is Hashem.' The Tikkunei Zohar explains: there is fire and there is fire, there is noise and there is noise, etc. Nevertheless, even what is in the fire of Hashem, the 'kol demamah dakah' is even higher, etc.

[For fire is in the World of Beriah, where the seraphim are. The 'kol demamah dakah' is from Atzilus. And in Atzilus, too, there are the four worlds. This is: there is fire and there is fire—Beriah within Atzilus, etc. And even there, the 'kol demamah dakah' is higher, which is Atzilus within Atzilus, etc.]

But there must first be fire, which is the elevation from below to above, and afterward comes the aspect of bittul. Like the concept of the kohanim and levi'im.

This is 'lachmi l'ishai.' 'Lachmi'—Israel sustains, etc., just as food restores the soul to spread in the body. 'L'ishai'—through the arousal from below, the fire of Hashem, there is made above the fire of Yud, so that the fire from above descends, etc.

This is 'Es Karbani'—'Es' is the combinations of the letters from Alef to Tav. 'Karbani'—they become truly close to Me, so that the revelation of G‑dliness and the Infinite Light truly rests in them. Through 'lachmi l'ishai'—from the fire of Hashem comes the fire of Yud, the name MaH is drawn down into it.

This is in the aspect of Malchus of Atzilus, the name BaN—for all Israel are children, etc.

'Reiach nichochi'—from below to above, arouses the intellect of Abba. In exile, it is the aspect of sleep and withdrawal, and 'reiach' is what arouses, etc. 'Nichochi' is an expression of descent and rest, the drawing down of bittul, etc. This is the aspect of 'kol demamah dakah,' which is higher even than the fire of Yud, etc.

'Tishmeru'—'shamor' is Mishnah—that it should be a vessel for the revelation of the Infinite Light, in the aspect of 'ishai.' As our Sages said: whoever occupies himself with Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, studies opposite him. 'And My words which I have placed in your mouth,' literally. This is 'Es Karbani.'

For the Avos were chesed, gevurah, tiferes—they are the chariot. And Moshe is the aspect of bittul: 'And on the likeness of the throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man,' the aspect of the rider, etc. All this is from the aspect of Moshe, the aspect of bittul: 'the likeness of the appearance of a man'—the aspect of the rider, which is Yesod Abba, and 'v'anachnu MaH,' etc.

And how does a person reach the aspect of bittul? It is through 'Tzav es Bnei Yisrael'—that the aspect of Moshe lowers himself and is drawn down below to be in unity and connection.

Through this: 'V'amarta aleihem'—the saying is the aspect of Abba, so that it will be: 'And My words which I have placed in your mouth.'

'Lehakriv li bemoado'—'moed' is from 'v'noadeti,' which means to meet, as in 'asher lo ya'ada,' etc. 'Yaud' and 'moed' and 'v'noad'—all are expressions of meeting, unity, and connection.

All the draw-downs are from the aspect of Shabbos Kodesh, which is for you the aspect of Abba, but it is through Yom Tov, 'mikra kodesh,' the aspect of Imma. But even there, it is the enclothing of Abba in Imma, etc.

Pesach—from below to above, is the aspect of Avraham, the morning prayer. First, the World of Asiyah until 'Baruch She'amar.' 'Pesukei d'zimra' is the World of Yetzirah. 'Yotzer Or' is Beriah. And prayer is bittul and drawing down from above to below.

Not so Minchah, which means rest, where there is only the Shemoneh Esrei prayer.

Maariv also has Shema and prayer, but it is not lengthy—because Yaakov includes both. And even the morning prayer includes the binding of Yitzchak in Avraham, etc.

Also, 'moed' is from 'v'kallah te'adeh keileha,' which is an expression of adornment and crown, the aspect of Kesser, etc.

See what is written in the discourse 'Eileh Pekudei' about the Mishkan of testimony. And see about 'Es Karbani' in Zohar I, Vayetzei (164b). And elsewhere, it is mentioned in Zohar Netzach and Hod, about 'Es Karbani,' etc.

And there, in the explanation on 'Tze'enah u'Re'enah' at its end, that Netzach and Hod are the letters of Torah, etc. And about 'reiach nichochi' in Parshas Pekudei (239a). And about 'lehakriv li' in Parshas Shemos (120b). And about 'bemoado' in Parshas Lech Lecha (89b, and see there 88a, and in Parshas Shemos 121a, and in Parshas Pinchas 224a, 226a, 240a).

And see in Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, Parsha 2, and in Midrash Shochar Tov, Psalm 19, about 'tishmeru lehakriv li,' etc. And see what is written about this on the verse 'V'erastich li,' etc. And see Zohar I, Parshas Vayechi (245b), and what is written about this in the explanation on 'Yonasi' and in the verse 'Shir HaShirim,' etc.

Summary

This maamar explains how man's avodah draws down G‑dliness into the world, transforming both the person and creation. Through Torah, mitzvos, and self-nullification, one becomes a vessel for the Divine, achieving true closeness and unity with G‑d.