006 —החלצו

Hachalzu Mikem V'Gomer.

We need to understand: it should have said "Yachalzu" (they shall arm themselves)? For "Hachalzu" implies all of you, and since it says "mikem" (from among you), meaning only some of you, a thousand from each tribe^[1][2], it should have said "Yachalzu"?

Also, what is the idea of the vengeance of Havayah against Midian? And what does "for all the tribes" mean? It should have said "from all the tribes"?

However, the aspect of Midian is truly the opposite of the aspect of the Name Havayah. Therefore, before the giving of the Torah, it was necessary to subdue the kelipah of Midian, through Yisro, the priest of Midian, who said, "Now I know..."^[3] (as it is written in Zohar, beginning of Parshas Yisro 67b).

The idea is as our Sages said^[4]: At the time of the giving of the Torah, all the nations gathered until they all said, "Hashem oz le'amo yiten, Hashem yevarech es amo vashalom" (Hashem will give strength to His people, Hashem will bless His people with peace). And as our Sages said (Sanhedrin 99b), one who engages in Torah brings peace to the heavenly and earthly hosts.

To understand these two types of peace, we must first explain: At the destruction of the First Beis HaMikdash, our Sages said^[5] that Hashem forgave idolatry, immorality, and murder, but did not forgive the neglect of Torah study. The destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash was only because of the sin of baseless hatred^[6]. So why is this exile so long, with the Beis HaMikdash destroyed for over 1,700 years, when the Babylonian exile, caused by those severe sins, lasted only seventy years?

The explanation is: When our ancestors entered the Land, there were seven nations: the Canaanite, the Hittite, etc., as it says^[7]: "And it shall be that what you leave of them..." These represent the seven negative traits. Therefore, when Israel sinned in the First Temple era and these seven negative traits prevailed because they left some of the nations, as it says (in Shoftim ch. 1 and 2), "You shall not make a covenant... and you did not listen to My voice..." Because of them^[8], they stumbled in those severe sins. Therefore, the Babylonian exile lasted seventy years, to rectify the seven negative traits—ten years for each, as each contains ten aspects.

But in the Second Temple, the sin was not in the negative traits themselves, but in baseless hatred. This is the kelipah of Midian, which is not counted among the seven nations, and is not as severe as lustful sins like adultery, but rather baseless hatred. The word "Midian" means strife and quarrel.

This trait, although not absolute evil, is the source of evil. It is also the opposite of Divine holiness^[9], which is specifically unity and inclusion, the foundation of the entire Torah, as Hillel the Elder said: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow; the rest is commentary."

This is because above, Havayah Echad^[10] (Hashem is One) is the aspect of unity and inclusion. "He and His attributes are one"^[11]. "He is the knower and the knowledge"^[12]. The meaning of "Echad" is not His essence, which is called "Yachid" (singular), but rather "Echad" means one in the seven heavens and the earth^[13]. Above, this refers to the seven Divine attributes, all nullified and included in the One. Therefore, the aspect of Midian, "a quarrelsome person separates"^[14], is the opposite of the Name Havayah, which is One, where all attributes and opposites unite and are nullified in the light of Havayah. Therefore, this exile, which is to rectify and refine baseless hatred, takes much longer.

This is what our Sages said^[15]: The earlier generations whose sin was revealed, their end was revealed. That is, since their sin was absolute evil, they repented immediately. But the later generations, whose sin was not revealed—meaning baseless hatred—each person fools himself that it is not a real sin. Therefore, their end is not revealed, because they do not regret it so much.

(As Rabbeinu Yonah writes at the beginning of Berachos, that the asham (guilt offering) is two selaim and the chatas (sin offering) is a dinar^[16], because the asham is for a doubtful sin, and one does not regret it as much, etc.)

Similarly, to clarify fine waste takes longer than coarse waste, which is obvious to all as waste. Likewise, in halachic rulings in the Gemara, it does not require deep analysis to know that a raven is forbidden and a dove is permitted. But to clarify doubtful rulings, where the prohibition is not obvious, requires much effort and time in pilpul and analysis, after which it is recognized as forbidden. So too, the rectification and clarification of the sin of baseless hatred, since it is not considered such a grave evil in a person's eyes, because he thinks he hates justly, therefore it takes a long time.

But to somewhat understand the severity of baseless hatred and how it truly opposes the Name Havayah.

The idea is that the Name Havayah is called so because it brings existence from nothing to being.

It is well known that the question is asked: Why is creation called "something from nothing"? On the contrary, He is the true existence, and all before Him is considered as nothing and truly naught. The explanation is that the Ein Sof, as its name implies, has no beginning, etc. Therefore, when it was necessary to draw down light to create finite beings, it could not be through a chain of cause and effect, for then everything would remain infinite.

Rather, there had to be a great tzimtzum (contraction) at first, so that the revelation would be only a limited ray, so that this ray could be the source for creating finite worlds, and so that they would not be nullified in existence. This is the idea of the yud in the Name Havayah, which is contraction. "He made darkness His hiding place"^[17], only a revelation of a point. "He went forth like lightning"^[18]. After the yud comes the hei, which has length and breadth, representing sovev kol almin and memale kol almin, extending infinitely above and below. All this follows the yud. Therefore, creation is called "something from nothing," for the source of being is through the aspect of "mah" (what), which is nothing and considered naught compared to His essence, which is above this contraction. See also the discourse on "Vayar Yisrael."

This is what our Sages said^[19]: Like the creation of the world, first darkness—this is the contraction. (See Zohar, Parshas Balak 191, which explains "I am black" as the yud that has no whiteness.) Then comes light, which is the expansion. The contraction and expansion are two opposite attributes, and there must be an intermediary to unite these opposites, which is through an aspect above both. This is a drawing from the Ein Sof, before whom darkness and light are the same^[20]. Darkness and light only apply to the levels of creation, but before creation, these distinctions do not exist.

Through drawing from this level, it is possible to connect and unite the two opposites, so that chochmah and binah (yud and hei) become "two friends who never part"^[21], even though they are essentially opposites, called nothing and something. Nevertheless, through drawing from the Ein Sof above both, they are included and become one. This drawing is hinted at in the crown of the yud, which is far above the yud itself, and through it, the yud extends and connects to the hei. As explained in Pardes, the yud has three crowns, and from the lower crown comes the hei, and in the lower crown is the upper crown. Thus, the extension and connection of the yud to the hei comes through the crown of the yud, which is above the yud itself. This is what connects the yud and the hei.

(See this explained at length in the discourse on "Lech Lecha." See also Zohar, Parshas Vayikra 10b and 11b, and in Makom Kadosh there in the name of the RaShaSh that the lower crown is daas, which connects chochmah and binah. See Zohar HaRakia, beginning of Bereishis, regarding the letter tzadi, etc. See also Zohar, Parshas Acharei 72b, regarding "their connection depends on mazal." And in Sefer HaMaamarim (section 115) in the name of Likkutei Torah. And in Pri Etz Chaim (Shaar HaBerachos ch. 3) on "Your path is in many waters." And more in Sefer HaMaamarim (beginning of section 156). And see also Pardes, Shaar HaKav, entry "Kutz.")

This is the idea that one who engages in Torah brings peace to the heavenly hosts. For the aspect that causes this influence from the essence of the Ein Sof to unite the yud and hei is through Torah.

This is "O yachzik bema'uzzi ya'aseh shalom li"^[22]—peace for Me, literally. That is, in the yud and hei of the Name Havayah.

The reason is because "Torah emerges from chochmah"^[23]. And our Sages said^[24]: "Whoever reads and studies, Hashem reads and studies opposite him." Thus, he draws down that Hashem, the essence of the Ein Sof, is drawn and enclothed in the Torah that emerges from chochmah.

This is "one who studies Torah lishmah"^[25], for the sake of Torah itself, and also for the sake of Hashem, for through this, the yud and hei are united. Therefore, Torah is called peace.

(For through this, the aspect and level of the upper crown is drawn down, for Torah emerges from chochmah, and its source is above chochmah. For the 613 mitzvos of the Torah, together with the seven rabbinic mitzvos, are the aspect of keter, 620 pillars of light. Just as a pillar connects the roof with the ground, so too, through this, the yud and hei are united, so that the flow is drawn down and spreads below, etc. See the discourse on "Acharei Hashem Elokeichem Telechu" regarding "U'v'kolo tishma'u." And the discourse on "B'yom Hashmini Atzeres" about "O yachzik bema'uzzi ya'aseh shalom li," etc.)

2) The idea of peace in the earthly hosts is in the letters vav and hei of the Name.

For it is written^[26]: "Yours, Hashem, is the greatness and the power..." which are the six upper attributes. This is the vav of the Name Havayah.

Corresponding to this, there are also seven negative traits, whose source and root is from the left line of holiness. As it says in the Zohar: there is a right and a left above in the side of holiness. From the left line, the external forces draw sustenance. Just as the river Dinur comes from the sweat of the Chayos, so Gehinnom is formed from the waste of the gevurot.

(See more about this in Parshas Chukas on "Zos Chukas HaTorah.")

Therefore, the rectification is that the left must be included in the right. The entire Torah is based on this principle. As it says in Zohar, beginning of Parshas Korach, that this was Korach's sin—he did not want the left to be included in the right, which is the opposite of the Torah's foundation. Therefore, Torah is called "Torat chesed"^[27]. This is "Yemincha Hashem nedari bakoach"^[28], and through this, "Yemincha Hashem tira'etz oyev"^[29]. Likewise, all the punishments of the Torah, though they are gevurot, are included in chasadim, for the punishment is to rectify the soul of the sinner. As our Sages said^[30]: All those liable for kareis who were flogged are exempt from kareis. Even the death penalty by the court, our Sages said regarding Achan^[31]: "You are cursed this day"—this day you are cursed, but not in the World to Come. Thus, the punishment is to rectify his soul. The sin itself, however, is worse than death, as it says: "Life and good, death and evil"^[32]. Thus, evil is worse than death. (See more on this in the discourse on "Vayikach Korach.") Thus, in Torah, the left is included in the right.

But the punishment before the giving of the Torah was from pure gevurot, as with the generation of the Flood, our Sages said^[33]: They have no share in the World to Come, and likewise the generation of the Dispersion. Thus, the punishment was not for the rectification of the sinner's soul—this is pure gevurot. (Nevertheless, their ultimate purpose is kindness, for the benefit of the world as a whole. See Remez, beginning of Parshas Shoftim.) This aspect, that the left is included in the right, is called peace in the earthly hosts. It is the sweetening of gevurot in chasadim.

This too is accomplished through Torah. For in Torah it is said^[34]: "From His right, a fiery law"—black fire upon white fire. This is^[35] "Anochi" and "Lo yihyeh lecha," which are the sources of chesed and gevurah. Likewise, all the details of Torah are aspects of gevurot and contractions, such as "only in such and such a way is it valid, otherwise it is invalid." These gevurot are the ultimate kindness, for through them, G‑dliness is revealed.

This is "from His right, a fiery law," and this too is through the light that is drawn from above the chain of worlds, from which the inclusion of chesed and gevurah comes, even though they are opposites, so that the left is included in the right. "Rav chesed," He inclines toward kindness. This is "peace He will make for Me," the inclusion of the attributes, "He and His attributes are one," united in a complete and true unity until they are truly one.

3) Similarly, these two types of peace exist in the soul of a person. For the soul also contains the aspect of the Name Havayah. (As explained elsewhere on the verse "Hashem your G‑d did not want to listen to Bilaam...") As it says: "For the Name Havayah is called upon you"^[36]. For the soul is composed of ten sefirot. The chochmah and binah in the soul are the yud and hei. As it says: "Chochmah in the brain and binah in the heart"^[37], and as the saying goes: "The heart understands."

The difference between the brain and the heart is that the brain is cold and moist, the source of water and moisture, while the heart is the seat of fire. Thus, the aspect of chochmah and knowledge of G‑d's greatness, how His greatness is unfathomable^[38] and all before Him is as nothing, when one grasps this in his mind, it leads to the nullification of one's will, to completely nullify oneself before G‑d's will.

Therefore, this aspect is called yud, for the yud is contraction, as explained above. This contraction in a person is to nullify his will, etc., and likewise to nullify oneself in thought, speech, and action—not to think or speak according to one's own will, etc. From this also comes humility. Therefore, it is said about Moshe^[39]: "And the man Moshe was very humble," because he was from the aspect of chochmah. Also, fear comes from the mind and chochmah, as it says^[40]: "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Hashem." Also, "With wisdom, Hashem founded the earth"^[41], "the father founded the daughter"^[42], which is called "a woman who fears Hashem"^[43]. Therefore, the bones come from the brain^[44]. The idea of bones is that they have great strength and are standing, and standing is the aspect of nullifying one's will. This nullification is with great strength, due to the constant, strong focus on G‑d's greatness, always, not just fleetingly after prayer. However, since the brain is water and moisture, it is an aspect of coolness.

But the advantage of the heart is that it is the seat of fire and revealed thirst, love with fiery flames, from the depths of a person. This comes from binah, the hei, which has expansion in length and breadth—the expansion of the emotions, love, etc. This is^[45] "He established the heavens with understanding." The heavens, being fire, come from understanding. From this comes "His heart was uplifted in the ways of Hashem"^[46], "I will walk in broadness"^[47]. From the heart comes the flesh^[48]. This is "My heart and flesh sing for joy"^[49].

In truth, both aspects are needed: brain and heart. The advantage of fire is that it cooks and transforms something into a new state, whereas without fire, it remains as it was. So too, through fire, the negative emotions of the animal soul can be transformed. Also, there must be the aspect of "His heart was uplifted," etc.

However, the advantage of the brain is very great, for from it comes the strength and persistence of nullifying one's will in thought, speech, and action. For it to be actualized, it is specifically through the power of the brain.

This is "With wisdom, Hashem founded the earth," which is the aspect of action, etc. Likewise, humility is a very important principle.

But they are two opposites, water and fire. Therefore, there must be peace between them, to unite them as true companions.

This is the idea of peace in the heavenly hosts within the soul: the mind ruling over the heart. For from the heart comes the aspect of "ratzo" (yearning): "If your heart runs"^[50]. But afterwards, there must be "shov" (return), which is the main thing.

Also, regarding "His heart was uplifted," our Sages said^[51]: A Torah scholar must have an eighth of an eighth of pride, etc.^[52] Therefore, humility must be much greater, even more than "His heart was uplifted," etc. See the discourse on "Yavi'u Levush Malchus."

This is what our Sages said^[53]: One who prays must bow until he sees a coin opposite his heart. The meaning is that "isar" (coin) is from the word "kesher" (connection), as in "ve'asra asar" (he bound a binding). This is to connect the drawing from the mind to the heart, so that the mind rules over the heart, and both the advantages of mind and heart are realized.

Similarly, the kohanim and levi'im: the service of the kohanim was in silence, which is the aspect of chochmah, while the levi'im served with song and music, the aspect of yearning. Regarding the levi'im it says^[54]: "They shall join you and serve you," meaning they were nullified to the kohanim.

This peace in the heavenly hosts is achieved through Torah study, which draws down the supreme will above chochmah and binah, making peace between them.

As explained above regarding the crown of the yud, so too in the soul there is the aspect of the crown of the yud, which is the will above reason, and from it comes the higher daas, which connects and unites chochmah and binah, mind and heart.

This is because Torah study is in the aspect of bittul (self-nullification): "To You, Hashem, I lift up my soul"^[55]—thought to thought, speech to speech, etc. Therefore, through this, the mind rules over the heart, so that the heart's excitement in love is not in the sense of "I love" or "I..." but rather in the aspect of "with all your soul," nullification. "To You, Hashem, I lift up my soul"^[56][57], because "You are destined to take it from me"^[58].

See the discourse on "Veyadata Hayom" regarding peace for the distant who becomes close.

4) The idea of peace in the earthly hosts is to include the left in the right.

The explanation is that the attributes of the Divine soul are generally called the right, where kindness prevails. Therefore, the soul is called "the daughter of a kohen." But the attributes of the animal soul are the left, whose source is from the left. There are 28 times^[59]. Sometimes the animal soul is completely subservient to the Divine soul, and sometimes it overpowers and is drawn after physical desires, and this is not peace. But peace is when the left is included in the right, when the attributes of the animal soul are refined and nullified in the attributes of the Divine soul. See the explanation on "Va'eheyeh Etzlo Amun." As it says: "With all your heart," with both your inclinations. The evil inclination itself should be transformed to love of Hashem, through contemplation that there is truly nothing else, so whom else should one desire but Him?

This peace is also achieved through Torah, for the main refinement of the attributes is through drawing down daas, which is the life and inner aspect of the attributes. It draws chochmah and binah into the attributes, so that the attributes of the animal soul are refined through chochmah. (See more about this in the explanation on "Mayim Rabim Lo Yuchlu Lechabot Es Ha'ahavah" regarding the function of daas. See also the discourse on "Vechol Banayich" about "Bonayich" meaning "builders," that to have "abundant peace" is through Torah study. See also the explanation on "Mayim Rabim.")

Through this, above, the gevurot are sweetened. This is the unification of vav and hei, the drawing down of sovev kol almin into memale kol almin. The general drawing down is through the performance of mitzvos.

This is "the act of tzedakah is peace." Tzedakah also brings about this peace. Just as tzedakah brings peace below—since the poor person is jealous of the rich, and through tzedakah, peace is made between them—so too, it causes peace above, between the giver and the receiver, etc. See Iggeres HaKodesh, discourse on "Vehayah Ma'aseh HaTzedakah Shalom." See also more about peace in the heavenly hosts, the connection of ratzo and shov, heart and mind, and peace in the earthly hosts in the discourse on "Vechol Ha'am Ro'im Es HaKolos" in Parshas Yisro.

After all this, we can understand the idea of the vengeance of Havayah against Midian. For baseless hatred and separation are truly the opposite of the Name Havayah, whose essence is peace and inclusion in both the heavenly and earthly hosts.

The idea is that through inclusion, a higher light is drawn down, from the aspect of "shalemusa d'kula" (the perfection of all), which includes everything. "For from You is everything" is written. But separation, etc., is the opposite. Therefore, the war against Midian is to avenge the Name Havayah itself. This is "Hachalzu," which implies all of you. That is, every person must stand in this battle, to fight his own evil inclination for the sake of the Name Havayah, which represents unity. This means that everyone should be included together as one, like one person with no division of hearts, etc. Only through this can Midian be subdued.

This is what it says: "for all the tribes." For there are 600,000 souls corresponding to the six directions, each composed of ten, and ten from ten, etc.

There are six directions from above to below and from below to above. These are the two types of tribes, as it says: "There the tribes went up, the tribes of Hashem"^[60][61], from the world of male and the world of female.

Similarly, with the tribes, there are two aspects: one, the inclination and flow from above to below, as in "Incline Your heavens and descend" (Tehillim 144). And there is inclination from below to above: "I have inclined my heart to do Your statutes." "The staff of Aharon blossomed"^[62], "Raise your staff..."^[63]. There must be inclusion from all aspects, through the two types of peace mentioned above, in the heavenly and earthly hosts.

This is "for all the tribes," not "from all." For "from all" would imply only the lower tribes, which are from the world of female. But "for all" implies all of them. That is, through inclusion below in the twelve tribes, a light is drawn from above, from the root of the twelve tribes called "the tribes of Hashem," the aspect of the heavenly hosts, as above. Through all this, we understand the severity of baseless hatred. See the discourse on "Hen Am Echad Vesafa Achas."

The cause of unity and inclusion is the aspect of Moshe: "And we are nothing..." Therefore, the war and vengeance against Midian had to be specifically through Moshe. As it says in the Midrash on Shir HaShirim: "Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, all of them matched"^[65], referring to Israel who went to war against Midian. The same is found in the Midrash (beginning of Parshas Mattos).

The idea, as explained elsewhere, is that "they came up from the washing"^[66] refers to the drawing down of masculine waters from the sea of chochmah, through Moshe Rabbeinu, of whom it is said, "for I drew him from the water."

Therefore, "they came up from the washing" is the acronym for Moshe. Through this, they all became matched, which is the aspect of complete inclusion together. Therefore, it was specifically they who fought against Midian. As explained above, to be "over Midian" is through complete inclusion together.

Summary

This maamar teaches that the ultimate rectification of exile and the defeat of negativity (Midian) is achieved through unity and inclusion, both within the soul and among the Jewish people. True peace—above and below—comes from integrating opposites, reflecting the oneness of Hashem, and is accomplished through Torah and mitzvos.