052 —מאמרים מלוקט חלק ג - ש"פ בהעלותך, ט' סיון ה'תשכ"ז

B"H, Shabbos Parshas Beha'aloscha, 9 Sivan 5727.

Rani VeSimchi Bas Tziyon Go'.

In Torah Or (Drushei Chanukah), the Alter Rebbe points out that the haftarah for Shabbos Chanukah should seemingly begin with the verse 'VaYomer Eilai Go' Ra'isi VeHinei Menoras Zahav Go',' so why does it start with 'Rani VeSamchi Bas Tziyon'? He explains that 'Bas Tziyon' refers to Knesses Yisrael during exile, for in the time of the Beis HaMikdash, Knesses Yisrael is called 'Tziyon,' but in exile, it is called 'Bas Tziyon,' as explained there at length.^[1][2][3][4]

We need to understand: this precision—that the haftarah begins with 'Rani VeSamchi Bas Tziyon' and not 'Ra'isi VeHinei Menoras Zahav'—applies also to the haftarah for Shabbos Parshas Beha'aloscha, which is close to the time of Matan Torah. Matan Torah is the concept of freedom^[5], and yet, the haftarah for Shabbos Beha'aloscha also begins with 'Rani VeSamchi Bas Tziyon.'

2) In Torah Or there, in the first maamar on 'Rani VeSamchi,' the verse is connected to the Midrash^[6][7][8] (on 'Tze'ena URe'ena Bnos Tziyon BaMelech Shlomo BaAtarah She'itra Lo Imo'), which gives a parable of a king who continues to show affection until he calls her 'my daughter,' then 'my sister,' then 'my mother.' It is explained^[9][10] that these three levels (daughter, sister, mother) in a person's service correspond to mitzvah observance^[11], Torah study, and mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice). In mitzvah observance, the person is a recipient (daughter), receiving the flow drawn down through the mitzvah. Through Torah study, Israel become siblings and friends to the Holy One (sister). Through mesirus nefesh, they are called 'mother,' as they influence, so to speak, upon G-d. This is connected to the explanation elsewhere^[12] on 'BaAtarah She'itra Lo Imo,' that the crown Knesses Yisrael (the mother) gives to G-d is through their saying 'Na'aseh' before 'Nishma,' for this self-nullification is like that of mesirus nefesh^[13].

It can be said that one of the reasons we read Parshas Beha'aloscha after Shavuos^[14] is because the candles refer to the souls of Israel, as it says^[15] 'Ner Hashem Nishmas Adam'^[16]. The meaning of 'Ner Hashem' is that the soul illuminates (influences) G-d, so to speak^[17], and as the Midrash says^[18] on 'Beha'aloscha Es HaNeros,' Israel illuminates the One Who illuminates the world. This is connected to Shavuos, the crown given by the mother. Based on this, we need to understand even more why the haftarah for Shabbos Beha'aloscha (the concept of 'mother') is 'Rani VeSamchi Bas Tziyon.'

3) The idea is that the flow drawn down through mitzvah observance (daughter) is loftier than that drawn down through the service of 'sister' and 'mother.' For the service of mesirus nefesh (mother), and similarly Torah study (sister), since they are spiritual work, are related to the flow they draw down, and since the flow through these is like an arousal from above that is awakened by an arousal from below, it only reaches as high as the arousal from below can reach. But the flow through mitzvah observance, which is a physical act incomparable to spiritual work^[19], is like an arousal from above on its own, and therefore the flow is from the Essence of the Infinite^[20]. This is 'Rani VeSamchi Bas Tziyon Ki Hineni Va VeShachanti Besocheich'—'Hineni Va' includes two ideas: 'Hineni'—I am ready on My own, not through an arousal from below^[21]; 'Va - Myself, so to speak, the Essence of the Infinite^[22].

Furthermore, the advantage of the service of 'daughter' over 'sister' and 'mother' applies also to the person serving. In the service of 'sister' and 'mother,' the person's own existence is subtly felt—the greatness of his own service (the greatness of Torah study, and even more so, mesirus nefesh), and the elevation achieved through his service, becoming a sibling to G-d or, even more, influencing G-d. But in the service of 'daughter' (mitzvah observance), the person's self-nullification is felt^[23], both in the service itself—his entire work is only to fulfill G-d's command—and in the flow drawn down through his service, for the fact that mitzvah observance draws down the Essence is not due to the person's own quality but because the mitzvos are the will and command of the Essence. Through this bittul, he becomes a vessel for the light drawn down through mitzvos. This is 'Ki Hineni Va VeShachanti Besocheich'—the flow of 'Hineni Va,' I Myself, is within you, internally.

4) We need to understand: since 'mother' is the service of mesirus nefesh, which is bittul, and especially as explained above (section 2) that the crown Knesses Yisrael (the mother) gives to G-d is through saying 'Na'aseh' before 'Nishma,' which is bittul to the Master of the will^[24], what is the advantage of the bittul of 'daughter' over that of 'mother'? It can be said that the bittul of saying 'Na'aseh' before 'Nishma' is that Israel accepted upon themselves the yoke of Heaven. Therefore, even though this acceptance is (not only regarding one's capacity for action, to do whatever is commanded, but also) in one's very being^[25], that his entire existence is being a servant of the King, the King of kings, nevertheless, since this acceptance comes from the person—he accepted to be a servant—there is still some sense of self mixed in. Similarly, with mesirus nefesh (the level of mother), since it comes from the nature of the soul^[26], it is also a form of self. True bittul is when the nullification is from the Master.

It can be said that this is the meaning of the verse^[27] 'For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of Egypt'—that Israel are servants of G-d not only because they accepted His yoke, but also because G-d took them out of Egypt, making them compelled to be servants^[28]. This was mainly drawn down at the time of Matan Torah^[29].

5) Based on this, we can explain the advantage of the bittul of 'daughter' over that of 'mother' [even though the bittul of 'daughter' (accepting mitzvos) is regarding one's capacity for action, to do what is commanded, and the bittul of 'mother' (accepting the yoke of Heaven) is in one's very being (as above, section 4)], for the yoke to fulfill the mitzvos given at Matan Torah is because at Matan Torah, G-d made them servants—true bittul. It can be said that what is explained elsewhere^[30] that 'daughter' is the aspect of recipient, who has nothing of her own and only receives from above, means that even the bittul of accepting the yoke is not from oneself but because at Matan Torah, G-d chose Israel to be His servants.

[This can be connected to what was brought above (at the beginning of the maamar) from Torah Or, that 'Bas Tziyon' refers to Knesses Yisrael during exile, for the bittul of 'daughter' is revealed mainly in the service during exile. As explained elsewhere^[31], in exile, especially in the generation of Ikvesa DeMeshicha, the concealments are very great, and there are concealments that a person, even with his own acceptance of the yoke, since he is limited, cannot overcome. The fact that Israel overcome even these concealments is because their acceptance of the yoke is (not from their own existence but) from the G-dliness, because G-d chose them to be His servants, and regarding G-dliness, there are no limitations^[32].]

This is why the haftarah for Shabbos Beha'aloscha, after Matan Torah, is 'Rani VeSamchi Bas Tziyon,' even though the concept and advantage of 'the day of His wedding'—Matan Torah^[33]—is (the crown given by) the mother. For the ultimate intent of the bittul of 'mother' on Shavuos is that through it, one should later reach an even higher bittul, that of 'daughter,' Bas Tziyon.

6) The verse emphasizes 'Rani VeSamchi Bas Tziyon,' that the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos (Tziyon^[34]) should be not only with bittul (daughter) but also with joy—'Rani VeSamchi.' We need to understand: when a person is in a state where he has no pleasure or vitality in Torah and mitzvos, and his observance is only out of acceptance of the yoke [and even more so, when even his acceptance is not because he wants to accept the yoke, but only because he cannot throw it off, since G-d's choice of Israel compels him], how can he bring himself to fulfill Torah and mitzvos with joy? The answer is that there is another explanation of 'Bas Tziyon': Tziyon refers to the tzaddikim, and Bas Tziyon is connection with the tzaddikim^[35]. Through connecting to tzaddikim, especially to the leaders of Israel, whose role is to draw down G-dliness to all Israel and especially to those connected to them, one receives the strength to fulfill Torah and mitzvos with joy—'Rani VeSamchi.' This also includes not being disturbed by material matters^[36]—'Rani VeSamchi' even regarding children, life, and abundant sustenance. Through connecting to the tzaddikim and the leaders in every generation, and especially to our Rebbe, the leader of our generation, all concealments and obstacles will be nullified, including the concealment of exile^[37], and our Rebbe will lead us upright to our land, in the true and complete redemption, very soon.

Summary

This maamar teaches that the highest level of self-nullification (bittul) is achieved through mitzvah observance, which draws down the Essence of G-d. Even when one feels no inspiration, connection to tzaddikim empowers joyful service, ultimately leading to the redemption and the revelation of G-dliness within us.