וישכם לבן בבקר וינשק לבניו ולבנותיו ויברך אתהם כו

וישכם לבן בבקר וינשק לבניו ולבנותיו ויברך אתהם כו'.

"Lavan rose early in the morning, kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them…"¹

הנה כתיב, "לך ה' הגדולה והגבורה כו'" בלשון נקבה,

It is written, "Yours, G‑d, are the greatness and the might…,"² in the feminine form (hagedulah, hagevurah),³

שהם בחי' מקבלים מאור א"ס ב"ה.

for they are recipients of the light of the Ein Sof, blessed be He.

כי באור א"ס ב"ה בעצמו לא שייך לשון גדולה, ש"במקום גדולתו כו'".

For to the light of the Ein Sof itself, the term "greatness" does not apply, since "in the place of His greatness…" [there one finds His humility].^4[a]

והנה "גדולה" היא מדת אברהם.

Now, "greatness" is the attribute of Avraham,

וכמ"ש "ואגדלה שמך".

as it is written, "And I will make your name great."⁵

וזהו שאומרים, "אלקי אברהם כו'" ושבחו של הקב"ה הוא, שכך ענוותנותו ית' כו', שנמשך ונתפשט אור א"ס ב"ה כ"כ, עד שיהיה שורה ומתגלה במדת "אברהם אוהבי כו'".

This is why we say "G‑d of Avraham…,"⁶ and the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, is that such is His humility…: the light of the Ein Sof, blessed be He, is drawn down and extends so far that it rests and is revealed in the attribute of "Avraham, who loved Me…."⁷

והנה "האבות הן הן המרכבה".

Now, "the Patriarchs are the chariot."⁸

שהיו כל ימיהם בבחי' בטול כו'.

All their days they were in a state of bittul (self-nullification)….

ועי"כ זכו להשראת השכינה אור א"ס ב"ה בגילוי ממש, שיהיה אור א"ס ומדותיו, הם המתגלים בנפשם, "אברהם אוהבי, ו"פחד יצחק כו'".

Through this they merited that the Shechinah, the light of the Ein Sof, rested upon them in actual revelation, so that the light of the Ein Sof and His attributes were what was revealed in their souls: "Avraham, who loved Me," and "the Fear of Yitzchak…."⁹

והן הן מדות גדולותיו וגבורותיו של הקב"ה עצמו, שנמשך ונשתלשל למטה על ידיהם, להיות גילוי אור א"ס ב"ה בכלל נפשות ישראל בבחי' גילוי ממש.

And these are the very attributes of greatness and might of the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, which were drawn down and descended through them, so that the light of the Ein Sof would be revealed in all the souls of Israel in actual revelation,

ולא במחשבה בעלמא, ש"כל ישראל מאמינים בני מאמינים כו'".

and not merely in thought, in the sense that "all Israel are believers, the children of believers…."¹⁰

כי המחשבה היא ברשותו של אדם, אל כל אשר יחפוץ יטנו, והחפץ ימלא את לבו ומחשבתו להטותה, פעמים כך ופעמים כך.

For thought is in a person's own control: "wherever he wishes, he turns it,"¹¹ and desire fills his heart and mind to turn it, sometimes this way and sometimes that way.

וצריך שיהיה החפץ והרצון תקוע במקום נאמן.

The desire and the will must be fixed "in a secure place."¹²

והוא ע"י הדעת והכרה בבחי' הרגשה כאלו רואה כו'.

This comes through daas (knowledge) and recognition in a manner of feeling, as if he sees….¹³

וכמארז"ל על אברהם אבינו ע"ה "שהכיר את בוראו כו'".

As our Sages said of our father Avraham, "that he recognized his Creator…."¹⁴

אך המשכת גילוי זה, מבחי' מעלת ומדרגת האבות עצמם כו'. כי האבות היו בבחי' מרכבה דאצי', ד"איהו וגרמוהי חד". ולא כל נפש תוכל שאת גילוי זה.

However, to draw down this revelation from the level and rank of the Patriarchs themselves… [is beyond the ordinary soul]. For the Patriarchs were a chariot of Atzilus, where "He and His vessels are one,"¹⁵ and not every soul can bear this revelation.^[b]

אבל להיות גילוי זה נמשך ונשתלשל בבי"ע, ששם מושרשות נפשות כלל ישראל, הוא ע"י בחי' ומדרגת השבטים.

But for this revelation to be drawn down and to descend into Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, where the souls of all Israel are rooted, comes through the level and rank of the Tribes (Shevatim).

כי "שבט" הוא לשון המשכה, כמו "כוכבא דשביט".

For shevet ("tribe") denotes drawing down, as in kochva d'shavit, "a comet."¹⁶

וגם, לשון שבט וענף, מן האילן הגדול שהם בבחי' מרכבה לעלמא דאתגליא, בבחי' (הים) "עמד על י"ב בקר",, הם בחי' י"ב שבטים, כנגד ארבע חיות המרכבה, פני אדם כו' וכל א' כלול מג' אבות, הרי י"ב.

It also means a rod and a branch of the great tree. They are a chariot for the "revealed world," in the manner of (the sea) "stood upon twelve oxen":¹⁷ these are the twelve Tribes, corresponding to the four chayos (living creatures) of the chariot, "the face of a man…,"¹⁸ each of them comprising the three Patriarchs, making twelve.

ומשם נמשך השפעת והמשכת גילוי אלקותו ית', בכלל הנפשות של ישראל, שבחי' ומדרגת השבטים יכולים כל ישראל שאת בנפשם.

From there the flow and drawing down of the revelation of G‑dliness reaches all the souls of Israel, for the level and rank of the Tribes can be borne by all Israel in their souls.

וזהו שאמר הנביא על הגלות, (ונתקן בתקון חצות) "למה תתענו ה' מדרכך, תקשיח לבנו מיראתך, שוב למען עבדיך שבטי נחלתך".

This is what the prophet said about the exile (and it was set in Tikkun Chatzos):¹⁹ "Why, G‑d, do You make us stray from Your ways, harden our heart from Your fear? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance."^20[c]

פי' "מדרכך", מדת אברהם, שנאמר עליו "הלוך ונסוע הנגבה כו'".

"From Your ways" means the attribute of Avraham, of whom it is said,²¹ "going and traveling toward the south…."

ו"מיראתך", מדת יצחק כו'.

"From Your fear" is the attribute of Yitzchak….

וקובל הנביא, למה תתענו ותקשיח לבנו, ממדת אברהם ויצחק, להיות רחוקים מאור פני ה', שיתגלה עלינו, ולהיות בגלות אדום הם ענייני עוה"ז כו'

The prophet laments: why do You make us stray, and harden our heart, from the attributes of Avraham and Yitzchak, so that we are far from the light of G‑d's countenance being revealed upon us, and are in the exile of Edom, which is the matters of this world…;

על כל פנים,"שוב למען עבדיך שבטי נחלתך".

at any rate, "return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance."

כלומר, שעם היות שבחי' מעלות ומדרגת האבות עצמם אינו שורה ומתגלה בנפש האדם בגלות, אבל ע"י השתלשלו' בחי' ומעלת השבטים, יוכל להיות גילוי זה בכל נפש מישראל:

That is: although the level and rank of the Patriarchs themselves do not rest and are not revealed in a person's soul in exile, through the descent of the level of the Tribes this revelation can come to every Jewish soul.

והנה מדתו של יעקב אבינו ע"ה, היא בחי' הרחמים העליונים.

Now, the attribute of our father Yaakov is supernal compassion (rachamim).^[d]

שאפילו על כל עולמות שייך ונופל בחינת הרחמנות כו', כמ"ש במ"א.

For compassion applies even to all the worlds…, as explained elsewhere.

ומדרגות השבטים יוצאי ירך יעקב, הם במדריגה שלמטה הימנו.

The level of the Tribes, who came forth from Yaakov, is a level below him:

דהיינו לעורר רחמים רבים על ניצוץ אלקות השורה בנפשו, ע"י התבוננותו בגדולת א"ס ב"ה.

that is, to arouse great compassion for the spark of G‑dliness that rests in one's soul, by contemplating the greatness of the Ein Sof, blessed be He:

איך שהוא רם ונשא, וכולא קמיה כלא חשיבי, ובטול כל הנבראים במקורם ובכללם.

how He is exalted and uplifted, and "all before Him is considered as nothing,"²² and how all created beings are nullified in their source and as a whole;

גם נפשו כשהיתה במקור חוצבה, חלק אלוה ממעל ממש, שהיתה בטלה באור א"ס ממש.

and how his own soul, when it was in the source from which it was hewn, was "truly a part of G‑d above,"²³ nullified in the light of the Ein Sof itself,

ואיך ירדה פלאים מטה מטה, "מאיגרא רמא כו'".

and how it has descended wondrously, lower and lower, "from a high roof…."²⁴

ולפי רבוי ואריכות ההתבוננות, כך תגדל הרחמנות ביתר שאת.

The more and the longer the contemplation, the more the compassion grows.

ועד"ז נתקן כל סדר התפלה ובפסוד"ז, שכמה פסוקים המספרים בשבחו ש"מ בעילוי אחר עילוי.

In this way the whole order of prayer was established, and Pesukei d'Zimrah, in which many verses tell the praise of G‑d, each level higher than the one before,

שמזה תגדל הרחמנות על ירידת הניצוץ וריחוקו מאור א"ס ב"ה כנ"ל.

so that the compassion over the descent of the spark and its distance from the light of the Ein Sof grows, as mentioned above.

והנה ע"י שמתעורר בחי' הרחמנות באתעדל"ת אתעדל"ע.

Now, when compassion is aroused, the arousal from below (isarusa dil'sata) brings an arousal from above (isarusa dil'eila),

כמו למשל השבט וענף של אילן שכופפין אותו כו', אזי נמשך כל האילן.

as, for example, when one bends the rod or branch of a tree…, the whole tree is drawn along.

כך הוא ע"י אתעדל"ת זו, שמבחי' ומדרגת השבטים, גורם אתעדל"ע בחי' רחמים רבים, להיות נמשך גילוי אור א"ס ב"ה. ובחי' מעלות ומדרגות האבות, בבחי' גילוי ממש בנפשו, דהיינו בחי' דעת והרגשה כאילו רואה כו'.

So too, through this arousal from below, from the level and rank of the Tribes, one brings about an arousal from above, great compassion, so that a revelation of the light of the Ein Sof is drawn down, and the level and rank of the Patriarchs is in actual revelation in his soul: that is, daas and feeling, as if he sees….^[e]

וכמאמר, "אבינו אב הרחמן רחם נא עלינו ותן בלבנו בינה כו'".

As it says, "Our Father, merciful Father, have mercy on us and grant our heart understanding…."²⁵

שכדי להיות לבבנו מכון וכסא להשראת בינה ודעת בבחי' הרגשה בלב, הוא ע"י הרחמנות, כי הרחמנות והדעת תלוי זה בזה.

For our heart to be a foundation and a throne for understanding and daas to rest in, felt in the heart, comes through compassion, for compassion and daas depend on each other.

וכמארז"ל כל מי שאין בו דעה כו':

As our Sages said,²⁶ "Whoever has no daas…."

אך הנה גם לבחי' אתעדל"ע שיהי' תלוי באתעדל"ת זו צ"ל בחי' המשכה מלמעלה.

Yet even for the arousal from above, which depends on this arousal from below, there must be a drawing down from above.^[f]

והמשכה זו היא ממקור הרחמים עליונים שלמעלה מעלה מסדר ההשתלשלות, ששם מקור ושרש הרחמים, מה שאינו מושג ונתפס בסדר השתלשלות כלל.

And this drawing down is from the source of supernal compassion, which is far above the order of hishtalshelus (the chain of descending worlds). There is the source and root of compassion, which is not grasped or contained within the order of hishtalshelus at all.

וכמאמר, "אלקי עולם ברחמיך הרבים", "ברחמיך" דייקא כו'.

As it says, "G‑d of the world, in Your abundant mercy…":²⁷ "in Your mercy" specifically….

וכמ"ש במ"א, "וזהו וישכם לבן בבקר".

And as is explained elsewhere, "This is: Lavan rose early in the morning."

פי' לבן דקדושה, הוא בחי' לובן העליון, דהיינו בחי' אור עצמותו ומהותו של אא"ס ב"ה.

This means: Lavan of holiness is the supernal "whiteness" (loven), the light of the very essence and being of the Ein Sof, blessed be He.

כמשל מראה וגוון לבן, שאינו דומה לכל המראות וגוונים שהגוונים שלהם נתהוו ע"י צבע, משא"כ מראה וגוון לבן הוא עצמות הדבר ומהותו שלא נשתנה ולא נתהוה ע"י צבע.

As with the appearance and color white, which is unlike all other appearances and colors, whose color came about through dye; white, however, is the very essence and being of the thing, which has not changed and did not come about through dye.

וכן הוא עד"מ אור א"ס ב"ה בעצמו ובכבודו דלית בי' בחינת גוונין כלל, דלית מחשבה תפיסא בי', ואני ה' לא שניתי כתיב.

So too, by way of analogy, the light of the Ein Sof, blessed be He, Himself and in His glory, has no aspect of colors at all, for "no thought can grasp Him";²⁸ and it is written, "I, G‑d, have not changed."²⁹

ולכן כתיב, "והחליף את משכורתי עשרת מנים, אם כה יאמר נקדים כו'".

This is why it is written, "He changed my wages ten times: if he said thus, 'The speckled…'"³⁰

שכל הבחי' עקודים ונקודים נתהוו ונשתלשלו ממנו.

For all the levels of akudim (ringed) and nekudim (speckled)³¹ came into being and descended from Him.

ובירידתם והשתלשלם, הם נקראים בשם עקודים ונקודים.

In their descent and unfolding they are called by the names akudim and nekudim,

משא"כ בראשיתם ומקורם, הם בטלים ונכללים ואינם עולים בשם כלל.

whereas at their beginning and source they are nullified and included, and do not carry any name at all.

ולכן יכול הוא להפך מבחי' עקודים לבחי' נקודים, ומנקודים לעקודים.

Therefore he can change from akudim to nekudim, and from nekudim to akudim,

ואין זה שינוי לפניו ית' כב"י. מאחר שהם בטלים במציאות, ואינם עולים בשם כלל, לא שייך שם שינוי כלל.

and this is no change before Him, may He be blessed, as it were: since they are nullified in their very existence and carry no name at all, the term "change" does not apply there at all.^[g]

(וזלע"ז לבן דקליפה מחליף משכורתו ממש ברמאות).

(Correspondingly, "one opposite the other," Lavan of kelipah actually changed his wages through deceit.)

והנה בחינת לבן דקדושה כנ"ל, שם הוא מקור הרחמים העליונים, מה שלמעלה מעלה מסדר ההשתלשלות.

Now, the level of Lavan of holiness, mentioned above, is the source of supernal compassion, far above the order of hishtalshelus.

ואתערותא דילי', בבוקר דאברהם, בחי' חסד, כמ"ש "וישכם אברהם בבקר".

Its arousal is in the "morning" of Avraham, the attribute of chesed (kindness), as it is written,³² "Avraham rose early in the morning."

להמשיך רחמים, להיות אתעדל"ע תלוי באתעדל"ת.

To draw down compassion, so that the arousal from above should depend on the arousal from below,

המשכת הרחמים היא בבחי' חסד דאברהם.

the drawing down of compassion is through the attribute of Avraham's chesed.

וכמאמר "אהבת עולם אהבתנו כו' אבינו אב הרחמן כו'".

As it says, "With everlasting love You have loved us… Our Father, merciful Father…."³³

וזהו "וינשק לבניו", הם הם בחי' השבטים, (שהם בני בניו, ובני בנים הרי הם כבנים)

This is "he kissed his sons": they are the level of the Tribes (who are his grandchildren, and grandchildren are like children),³⁴

בחי' המשכת אתעדל"ע כנ"ל.

the drawing down of the arousal from above, as mentioned.^[h]

"ובנותיו", הן הן לאה ורחל, עלמא דאתכסייא ועלמא דאתגלייא.

"And his daughters": these are Leah and Rachel, the "hidden world" and the "revealed world."

שלכל בחי' הללו נמשך בחי' לבן העליון, בבחינת נשיקין ואתדבקות רוחא ברוחא.

To all these levels the supernal whiteness is drawn down, in the manner of kisses and the cleaving of spirit to spirit:³⁵

לכל המשפיעים שהם בחי' בניו, והמקבלי' שהם בחי' בנותיו, שיהי' נשפע ונמשך בהם בחי' רחמים עליונים להיות אתעדל"ע תלוי באתעדל"ת.

to all who give (mashpi'im), who are "his sons," and those who receive (mekablim), who are "his daughters," so that supernal compassion should flow and be drawn into them, for the arousal from above to depend on the arousal from below.

"ויברך אתהם כו'".

"And he blessed them…."

ענין הברכה כמ"ש "ויברך אתם אלקים ויאמר להם כו' ומלאו את הארץ וכבשה כו'".

The meaning of blessing is as it is written,³⁶ "G‑d blessed them, and G‑d said to them… fill the earth and conquer it…":

דהיינו שיהי' תוספת ברכה והמשכה למטה עד דאתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא.

that is, an added blessing and drawing down below, until darkness is turned into light.

וכמ"ש "ונברכו בך כל משפחות האדמה ובזרעך" שיהיו נברכים ונכללים כל בחי' הניצוצים שנפלו בשבה"כ, בקדושתו של זרע יעקב.

As it is written,³⁷ "All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and through your offspring": all the sparks that fell in the breaking of the vessels are to be blessed and included in the holiness of the offspring of Yaakov.

"וילך וישב לבן למקומו".

"And Lavan went and returned to his place."³⁸

שזמן הארת בחי' זו היא בבוקר, זמן תפלת השחר.

The time this level shines is in the morning, the time of the morning prayer,

אבל אחר התפלה מסתלק הארה זו.

but after the prayer this illumination departs.

ולכך צריך להתפלל בכל יום.

This is why one must pray every day:

שבכל יום חוזר ונמשך הארה זו וחזר ונסתלק אחר התפלה.

every day this illumination is drawn down again, and departs again after the prayer.^[i]

"ויעקב הלך לדרכו".

"And Yaakov went on his way."³⁹

בחי' "יעקב", יו"ד עקב הלך ונמשך בחי' תורה ומצות, דתורה אקרי דרך וד"ל:

The level of "Yaakov," yud-akev,⁴⁰ went and was drawn down into Torah and mitzvos, for the Torah is called "a way";⁴¹ and this is enough for the understanding.

Flow of the maamar (where the Alter Rebbe is heading)

a. The opening: "Yours, G‑d, is the greatness" is in the feminine: the attributes receive from the light of the Ein Sof. From here he will explain the attributes of the Patriarchs, then the Tribes, and finally the "supernal Lavan" of the verse he opened with.

b. Here the question arises: the Patriarchs were a chariot and merited actual revelation, but not every soul can bear it. How is this revelation drawn into every Jewish soul? The answer: through the Tribes.

c. The verse "Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance" supports his point: even in exile, when the attributes of the Patriarchs do not shine in the soul, the revelation comes through the Tribes.

d. Here he turns to Yaakov's attribute, compassion, to explain how the Tribes, who come from him, draw down the revelation: by arousing compassion for the G‑dly spark in the soul.

e. This completes the answer to the question above: compassion below (the arousal from below) awakens compassion above, and brings the revelation of the Patriarchs' level into the soul as daas and feeling.

f. A new point begins: even the arousal from above that depends on man's service needs its own drawing down from the source of compassion beyond the order of hishtalshelus, and this brings him to the verse the maamar opened with, "Lavan rose early in the morning."

g. Explaining "Lavan" as the supernal whiteness, which has no colors and no change, shows how it is the source of compassion beyond the order of hishtalshelus.

h. From here he explains the verse phrase by phrase: "rose early" is Avraham's morning; "kissed his sons" is the Tribes; and below, "his daughters" are Leah and Rachel, and "he blessed them."

i. The end of the verse, "Lavan went and returned to his place," explains why one must pray every day; and "Yaakov went on his way": after prayer the drawing down continues through Torah and mitzvos.

Notes

1. Bereishis 32:1: "Lavan rose early in the morning, kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; then Lavan went and returned to his place."

2. Divrei HaYamim I 29:11: "Yours, G‑d, are the greatness, the might, the glory, the victory and the splendor, for all that is in heaven and on earth is Yours; Yours, G‑d, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all."

3. That is, hagedulah and hagevurah are feminine nouns, and the feminine denotes a recipient: the attributes receive from the light of the Ein Sof and are not that light itself.

4. See Megillah 31a: "Wherever you find the might of the Holy One, blessed be He, you find His humility." That is, the term "greatness" does not apply to the light of the Ein Sof itself.

5. Bereishis 12:2: "I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing."

6. The first blessing of the Shemoneh Esreh (Siddur, Shacharis): "G‑d of Avraham, G‑d of Yitzchak and G‑d of Yaakov, the great, mighty and awesome G‑d."

7. Yeshayahu 41:8: "But you, Israel, My servant, Yaakov whom I have chosen, the seed of Avraham who loved Me."

8. Bereishis Rabbah 47:6: "The Patriarchs are the chariot." That is, they were wholly nullified to the Divine will, as a chariot is to its rider.

9. "Avraham who loved Me": Yeshayahu 41:8 (cited above). "The Fear of Yitzchak": Bereishis 31:42: "Had not the G‑d of my father, the G‑d of Avraham and the Fear of Yitzchak, been with me, you would now have sent me away empty-handed."

10. See Shabbos 97a: "They are believers, the children of believers." That is, faith is inherited by every Jew, but on its own it is not a revealed, felt knowledge.

11. Based on Mishlei 21:1: "Like streams of water is the heart of a king in the hand of G‑d; wherever He wishes, He turns it."

12. Based on Yeshayahu 22:23: "I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place, and he shall be a throne of glory for his father's house."

13. That is, his knowledge of G‑dliness is as clear to him as if he saw it with his eyes.

14. See Nedarim 32a: "At three years old Avraham recognized his Creator."

15. Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction (3b): "He and His vessels are one in them." That is, in Atzilus the G‑dly light and its vessels (the sefiros) are one with Him.

16. See Berachos 58b: "Shmuel said: a kochva d'shavit," a comet, a star that draws a trail of light behind it.

17. Melachim I 7:25: "It stood upon twelve oxen: three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east, and the sea was set upon them above."

18. Yechezkel 1:10: "As for the likeness of their faces: the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right for the four of them, the face of an ox on the left for the four of them, and the face of an eagle for the four of them." Each of the four chayos includes the three attributes of the Patriarchs (chesed, gevurah and tiferes), making twelve.

19. Tikkun Chatzos: the prayers said at midnight in mourning over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash and over the exile.

20. Yeshayahu 63:17: "Why, G‑d, do You make us stray from Your ways, harden our heart from Your fear? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance."

21. Bereishis 12:9: "Avram journeyed, going and traveling toward the south." That is, "way" means going and spreading forth, which is Avraham's attribute of chesed (kindness).

22. Based on the wording of the Zohar I, 11b: "All before Him is considered as nothing."

23. See Tanya, ch. 2: "The second soul of Israel is truly a part of G‑d above," based on Iyov 31:2: "What is the portion of G‑d from above, and the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?"

24. Based on Chagigah 5b: "From a high roof to a deep pit."

25. From the blessing Ahavas Olam before the Shema (Siddur, Shacharis): "Our Father, merciful Father, who is compassionate, have mercy on us and grant our heart understanding, to comprehend and to discern."

26. See Berachos 33a: "Whoever has no daas, it is forbidden to have mercy on him." That is, compassion and daas depend on each other.

27. From the blessing Yotzer Or before the Shema (Siddur, Shacharis): "G‑d of the world, in Your abundant mercy have mercy on us."

28. Based on the wording of the Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction (17a): "No thought can grasp You at all."

29. Malachi 3:6: "For I, G‑d, have not changed; and you, children of Yaakov, have not been consumed."

30. Bereishis 31:7–8: "Your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but G‑d did not let him harm me. If he said thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said thus, 'The ringed shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore ringed."

31. Akudim and nekudim are also the names of stages in the unfolding of the G‑dly lights, the "world of akudim" and the "world of nekudim" in the writings of the Arizal.

32. Bereishis 22:3: "Avraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey; he took his two young men with him and Yitzchak his son, split the wood for the offering, and rose and went to the place of which G‑d had told him."

33. From the blessing Ahavas Olam before the Shema (cited above).

34. Yevamos 62b: "Grandchildren are like children."

35. A kiss is the cleaving of spirit to spirit.

36. Bereishis 1:28: "G‑d blessed them, and G‑d said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and conquer it, and rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky and every living thing that creeps upon the earth.'"

37. Bereishis 28:14: "Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out west, east, north and south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and through your offspring." See also Bereishis 12:3: "I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you."

38. Bereishis 32:1 (cited above).

39. Bereishis 32:2: "And Yaakov went on his way, and angels of G‑d met him."

40. "Yaakov" is made of the letters yud and akev (heel): the yud, the beginning of wisdom, is drawn down to the heel, to the lowest level.

41. See Kiddushin 2b: "'Way' (derech) is feminine, as it is written (Shemos 18:20), 'And you shall make known to them the way in which they shall walk'". The verse speaks of teaching the Torah to Israel.