001 —אלה מסעי

Parshas Masei^[1]

Eileh Masei Bnei Yisrael Asher Yatzu Me'Eretz Mitzrayim BeYad Moshe VeAharon.

It is written: "Nachita Katzon Amecha, BeYad Moshe VeAharon"^[2] ("You led Your people like a flock, by the hand of Moshe and Aharon").

Behold, this is a great principle in the service of Hashem, blessed be He: whoever seeks to cleave to Him, it is written: "Mi Ya'aleh BeHar Hashem, U'Mi Yakum... Neki Kapayim U'Var LeVav"^[3] ("Who may ascend the mountain of the L‑rd, and who may stand... one with clean hands and a pure heart"). That is, his heart must be completely pure and refined, without any trace of impurity^[4]. "Asher Lo Nasa Lashav Nafshi"^[5] ("Who has not taken My soul in vain"). It is written nafsho, but we read nafshi^[6].

As it says: "Eilecha Hashem Nafshi Esa"^[7] ("To You, Hashem, I lift my soul")^[8]. "Be ten, the Shechinah dwells"^[9]. That is, one's elevation and pride in the ways of Hashem should not be in vain or falsehood, G‑d forbid. Certainly, such a level is "Amok Amok Mi Yimtzaenu?"^[10] ("Deep, deep—who can find it?").

The advice for this is through the aspect of Moshe and Aharon^[11]. For it is known from our Sages: "If there is no awe, there is no wisdom. If there is no wisdom, there is no awe"^[12]. Seemingly, it is impossible to begin with either, since each depends on the other—so how can one start?^[13]

However, our Sages said: "Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom endures"^[14]. That is, there are two types of evil.

The first is actual evil, a prohibition. Even a minor rabbinic prohibition is considered complete evil. For this, "fear of sin precedes wisdom." As it says, "Tahor Einayim MeRe'ot Ra"^[15] ("Your eyes are too pure to see evil"). The evil thing is called an abomination to Hashem^[16]. No wisdom is needed to avoid such pitfalls.

The second type is in the realm of the permitted. Even with permitted things, our Sages said: "Sanctify yourself with what is permitted to you"^[17].

One should not be a "naval birshus haTorah" (a degenerate within the bounds of Torah). As Ramban writes at the beginning of Parshas Kedoshim. To avoid this type of evil, one must precede wisdom. This is through the aspect of Moshe and Aharon. Moshe is the "shushvina d'malka" (escort of the King), Aharon is the "shushvina d'matronisa" (escort of the Queen)^[18][19]. The escort of the King brings the King to unite with this world, so that the aspect of "Sovev Kol Almin" (the transcendent light) should dwell below.

As our Sages said: the Holy One, blessed be He, desires a dwelling place in the lower worlds^[20].

This is accomplished through Torah and mitzvos, which draw down His G‑dliness^[21]. The Torah is entirely the names of the Holy One, blessed be He^[22]. A name is made of letters, and this is something that cannot be grasped at all by our intellect.

For it is exceedingly lofty, even what is called by Him merely a "name"^[23]. Similarly, the mitzvos are called the limbs of the King^[24]. The mitzvos are compared to limbs: just as every limb contains the vitality of the soul, so too every mitzvah contains Divine vitality. When a person performs a mitzvah,

such as wrapping himself in a tallis with tzitzis in the morning, he draws upon himself the aspect of "Sovev Kol Almin" (the transcendent light), to hover over him. Likewise, with tefillin, he draws down unity^[25]. Through this, the evil is automatically separated from him^[26].

As it is written: "Kehames Donag Mipnei Eish, Yovdu Resha'im Mipnei Elokim"^[27] ("As wax melts before fire, so the wicked perish before G‑d"). And it is written: "VeHar Sinai Ashan Kulo, Mipnei Asher Yarad Alav Hashem BaEish"^[28] ("Mount Sinai was all in smoke because Hashem descended upon it in fire"). "Ki Hem Kotzim Kesuchim BaEish Yitzatu"^[29] ("For they are thorns cut down, burned in the fire").

This is through the aspect of Moshe, the aspect of daas (knowledge), knowing that he is one^[30]. And he should contemplate^[31]

what our Sages said: "A person does not sin unless a spirit of folly enters him"^[32]. As explained elsewhere, even the most lightheaded Jew does not want to cast off the yoke, and he gives his life for the sanctification of Hashem's Name.

No further contemplation is needed. One only needs to know: "Ki Chelek Hashem Amo"^[33] ("For Hashem's portion is His people"). By thinking or speaking about physical matters, he separates himself from the One. Surely, he would not want this—just as it is impossible to take a son from his father by natural means.

This is the meaning of "Mah Yafeh Yerushateinu"^[34] ("How beautiful is our inheritance"). And it is written: "Gam Choshech Lo Yachshich Mimeka"^[35] ("Even darkness is not dark for You"). Darkness is called fire. Even fire does not separate^[36]. This is the meaning of "Sanctify yourself with what is permitted to you." Even though it is permitted, it is only "to you" because of your body. But because of the Divine presence within you, this permission does not help. Thus: "Vehiyisem Kedoshim Ki Kadosh Ani Hashem"^[37] ("And you shall be holy, for I, Hashem, am holy").

This is "LeShem Yichud Kudsha Brich Hu U'Shechintei"^[38] ("For the sake of the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah").

And the aspect of Aharon is the "shushvina d'matronisa." He brings and gives birth to yearning for Hashem, which is the arousal of longing from below to above, accomplished through prayer. As it says: "Tzama Lecha Nafshi"^[39] ("My soul thirsts for You"). This is the contemplation in Pesukei DeZimra before Shema, and afterwards, when reaching "Ve'ahavta" in the Shema.

For the soul of every person yearns, but the love is in exile and hidden. As it says, "Galu LeEdom Shechinah Imahem"^[40] ("They went into exile to Edom, the Shechinah is with them"). That is, even when one acts like Edom, nevertheless, the Shechinah is with them.

The heart of a person should be inflamed to be nullified before Him. For example, when we see a physical thing, a human act, it is nullified before spirituality, like thought. This is "Raglei HaChayos Keneged Kulam" ("The legs of the Chayos are against all") [Chagigah 13a].

That is, even the lowest level among the Chayos^[41], which is spiritual, is "against all"^[42].

For there is no comparison between the physical and the spiritual. Even in physicality, it is said that the earth is like a mustard seed compared to the celestial spheres^[43], which are also physical. All the more so compared to something spiritual.

And so it is with every spiritual thing compared to a higher level of spirituality. As it says: "Shokei HaChayos Neged Kulam, Karsulei HaChayos Neged Kulam"^[44] ("The thighs of the Chayos are against all, the ankles of the Chayos are against all")^[45]. And before Him, all is considered as nothing. [Zohar I 11b.] Everything is as naught and nullified before Him, blessed be He.

This is the meaning of "Hakol Yeromemucha Selah"^[46] ("All will exalt You forever"). Forever they will exalt You. For no matter how much You are exalted, it is nothing, for there is always more to exalt. This has no limit, for He is infinitely above all that we can exalt. And His exaltedness is not a distancing from us, G‑d forbid. On the contrary, it is a closeness to us, since everything is nullified before Him, and before Him, all is considered as nothing. Therefore, there is no separation. This is the aspect of Aharon, to cleave to Him^[47], to be one with the One^[48].

However, it is written: "He is Aharon and Moshe," "He is Moshe and Aharon"^[49].

Sometimes, one must begin with Torah and mitzvos, so that afterwards he can pray with love.

And sometimes, the beginning is with the arousal of love in prayer, and afterwards, he can learn and act as explained above.

(See Bereishis Rabbah, end of ch. 1, Vayikra Rabbah ch. 36, regarding "He is Moshe and Aharon," etc.)

Summary

This maamar explains that true connection to G‑d requires both the purity and discipline of Torah and mitzvos (Moshe) and the heartfelt yearning of prayer (Aharon). By integrating both, a Jew can overcome all obstacles and unite with the Divine, elevating both the forbidden and the permitted in service of Hashem.