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Artwork for Kabbalah - Rabbi Aryeh Rotenberg
Religion & Spirituality

Kabbalah - Rabbi Aryeh Rotenberg

RUAH ISRAEL - ARGAMAN

Kabbalah classes by Rabbi Aryeh Rotenberg.
Learning according to the living tradition of the Kabbalist Pascal Themanlys.
Recordings are from the shul of Kehillat Mizmor LeDavid in Talpiot/Arnona, Jerusalem, Israel.

For the Hebrew classes please follow the link: https://open.spotify.com/show/59fmq0EZLZEOliYb6KjEyM

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  • 21 episodes
  • Updated Wednesday

Episodes21

Newest first
  • Wednesday · 51 min

    260805.Vaetchanan v021

    260805.Vaetchanan v021 Vaetchanan: Verse 21 You may argue that another, NAMELY MALCHUT, is also named thus, A FORM. WHY IS IT CALLED A FORM? HE ANSWERS, It is so, for the other one IS ALSO CALLED A FORM, BECAUSE the lower manifestations IN BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH emerge from it. For that reason BINAH AND MALCHUT ARE CALLED supernal Hei and lower Hei BECAUSE THEY ARE EQUAL. The supernal Hei IS THE SECRET OF, "a great voice which was not heard again" (Devarim 5:19), since its founts never stop flowing, BECAUSE IT IS WITH ABA, CHOCHMAH, IN A NEVER-ENDING UNION. All these voices were there when the Torah was given to Yisrael, THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN VOICES OF ZEIR ANPIN. They all came out from the inner voice above all, WHICH IS BINAH, since everything is suspended from it AS THEY EMANATED FROM BINAH. Vaetchanan: Verse 22 Moses spoke from himself the words of Deuteronomy (lit. 'the second Torah'). This has already been explained. HE ASKS why it is so AND HE ANSWERS, Supernal Chochmah is called the embodiment of the Torah, from which everything comes out into the inner voice, WHICH IS BINAH. Afterwards, everything is settled and becomes attached to the place called the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED MOSES. The general and the particular come from it, namely the Written Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED GENERAL, and the Oral Torah, WHICH IS MALCHUT CALLED PARTICULAR. They are also called the Torah and the second Torah. ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED TORAH AND MALCHUT IS CALLED THE SECOND TORAH. IT WAS THEREFORE SAID THAT MOSES, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, SPOKE THE SECOND TORAH, WHICH IS MALCHUT, FROM HIMSELF, NAMELY, IT EMANATED FROM MOSES. At first, THE FIRST SET OF TEN COMMANDMENTS CAME OUT from uninterrupted Gvurah, NAMELY FROM BINAH, OF WHICH IT IS SAID, "A GREAT VOICE WHICH WAS NOT HEARD AGAIN." Now, WITH THE SECOND SET OF TEN COMMANDMENTS IN THE SECOND TORAH THEY CAME OUT all together, THAT IS, FROM ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT MOSES, ZEIR ANPIN, SPOKE THEM FROM HIMSELF. For that reason, all these ten commandments are spelled with Vav, in, "neither (Heb. ve) shall you commit adultery. Neither shall you steal. Neither shall you bear... Neither shall you covet...neither shall you desire" (Ibid. 17-18), AS VAV INDICATES ZEIR ANPIN. Vaetchanan: Verse 23 Rabbi Yosi said, What is meant by, "neither shall you desire"? "Neither shall you covet" should suffice. He said to him, Blessed are the truly righteous. Coveting is one grade, desire another. Coveting MEANS that if he can, he will grab her, for the coveting that took him over will cause him to act. Desire is not so. Even when he will not take to following her, IT IS STILL CONSIDERED DESIRE. This has already been explained. Vaetchanan: Verse 24 Rabbi Yosi said to him, Why is not it written, 'Neither shall you murder' SPELLED WITH VAV like the others? He said to him, For the level OF MURDER is Judgment and comes from Gvurah THROUGH THE LEFT COLUMN instead of from the place of Mercy, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED VAV. Hence "You shall not murder" (Ibid. 17) is without Vav. Since five Vavs are needed, CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD, Vav was added to "shall you covet," since in "You shall not murder" no Vav should dwell BECAUSE IT IS IN GVURAH. HENCE Vav was added here. Vaetchanan: Verse 25 Rabbi Pinchas, who sat behind RABBI ELAZAR, heard it. He kissed him, wept and laughed. He said OF RABBI ELAZAR, Who can stand before him and his father in the world! Happy is the lot of the righteous, and happy is my own lot in this world and in the World to Come to have merited it. Of this it is written, "The righteous see it, and are glad" (Iyov 22:19).

  • Tuesday · 1 hr

    260804.Vaetchanan v018

    260804.Vaetchanan v018 Vaetchanan: Verse 18 "And Hashem spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words..." (Devarim 4:12). Rabbi Elazar said, We have to examine this verse. IT SAYS "the voice of the words." What does that mean? AND HE ANSWERS that IT MEANS voice is considered speech, since every speech comes from it. THE VOICE IS ZEIR ANPIN AND SPEECH IS MALCHUT, BUT SINCE WORDS COME FROM VOICE, MALCHUT IS CALLED "THE VOICE OF THE WORDS." Hence it is written, "And Hashem spoke to you OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE," since speech comes from that place, MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED FIRE. And it, MALCHUT, is called "the voice of the words." Vaetchanan: Verse 19 "You heard," since hearing depends on it, ON MALCHUT, since hearing comes from speech. Hence IT IS WRITTEN, "You heard." This has already been explained. "And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl" (Shemot 21:6), because he blemished that place called hearing, which means both words and hearing. Vaetchanan: Verse 20 "You heard the voice of the words, but saw no form." HE ASKS, What is a form, AND HE ANSWERS, It resembles "and the similitude of Hashem does he behold" (Bemidbar 12:8), WHICH IS MALCHUT. THIS WAS SAID TO PRAISE MOSES, WHO USED TO LOOK AT THE SHINING MIRROR, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, AND HENCE, "THE SIMILITUDE OF HASHEM DOES HE BEHOLD," WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT REVEALS YUD HEI VAV HEI. According to another explanation, "a form" is an inner voice, NAMELY BINAH, which was not visible at all, NOT EVEN TO MOSES; "only a voice" (Devarim 4:12) refers to another EXTERNAL voice, as we said, NAMELY MALCHUT CALLED "THE VOICE OF THE WORDS." And why is BINAH called a form (or: 'similitude')? HE ANSWERS, Because it manifests the body, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN CALLED BODY, THAT IS, THE FORM OF THE SIX EXTREMITIES, THE TWELVE BORDERS AND SEVENTY BRANCHES, ETC., which comes out from it, FROM BINAH. Vaetchanan: Verse 21 You may argue that another, NAMELY MALCHUT, is also named thus, A FORM. WHY IS IT CALLED A FORM? HE ANSWERS, It is so, for the other one IS ALSO CALLED A FORM, BECAUSE the lower manifestations IN BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH emerge from it. For that reason BINAH AND MALCHUT ARE CALLED supernal Hei and lower Hei BECAUSE THEY ARE EQUAL. The supernal Hei IS THE SECRET OF, "a great voice which was not heard again" (Devarim 5:19), since its founts never stop flowing, BECAUSE IT IS WITH ABA, CHOCHMAH, IN A NEVER-ENDING UNION. All these voices were there when the Torah was given to Yisrael, THE SECRET OF THE SEVEN VOICES OF ZEIR ANPIN. They all came out from the inner voice above all, WHICH IS BINAH, since everything is suspended from it AS THEY EMANATED FROM BINAH.

  • Monday · 16 min

    260803.Vaetchanan v016

    260803.Vaetchanan v016 Vaetchanan: Verse 16 וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְגוֹ.' ר' יוֹסֵי אָמַר אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לוֹ וְגוֹ.' זַכָּאָה עַמָּא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּחַר בְּהוּ מִכָּל עַמִּין עכו"ם, וְסָלִיק לוֹן לְעַדְבֵיהּ, וּבָרִיךְ לוֹן בְּבִרְכָתָא דִּילֵיהּ בְּבִרְכָתָא דִּשְׁמֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב כִּי הֵם זֶרַע בֵּרַךְ יְיָ,' בֵּרַךְ יְיָ' מַמָּשׁ. "But you that did cleave to Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 4:4). Rabbi Yosi said, "Happy is that people, that is in such a case" (Tehilim 144:15). Happy is the people whom the Holy One, blessed be He, has chosen above all heathen peoples and raised to His lot, and blessed them with His blessing, with His name's blessing. This is the meaning of, "they are the seed which Hashem has blessed" (Yeshayah 61:9), Hashem has actually blessed, NAMELY, THE BLESSING OF HIS NAME. Vaetchanan: Verse 17 תָּא חֲזִי, כָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, יָהַב לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְרַבְרְבֵי מְמָנָן, דְּשַׁלְטִין עָלַיְיהוּ. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אָחִיד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְעַדְבֵיהּ, לְחוּלָקֵיהּ, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בֵּיהּ מַמָּשׁ. וְיָהִיב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, וְע"ד וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ,' וְלָא בִּמְמָנָא אַחֲרָא כִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ בְּכַמָּה אֲתָר. Come and see, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave all the rest of the nations in the world to the appointed ministers that rule over them. As for Yisrael, the Holy One, blessed be He, held to them for His lot and portion, to actually unite with them. And He gave them the holy Torah in order to unite with His name. Hence, "you that did cleave to Hashem," and not to any other minister as the other nations. This has been explained in different places. Vaetchanan: Verse 18 וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֲלֵיכֶם מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ קוֹל דְּבָרִים אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְעִים וְגוֹ.' א"ר אֶלְעָזָר, הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, קוֹל דְּבָרִים, מַאי קוֹל דְּבָרִים. אֶלָּא קוֹל דְּאִקְרֵי דִּבּוּר, דְּכָל דִּבּוּרָא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא. וְע"ד כְּתִיב, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֲלֵיכֶם, דְּהָא דִּבּוּר בַּאֲתָר דָּא תַּלְיָא, לְהַאי אִקְרֵי קוֹל דְּבָרִים. "And Hashem spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words..." (Devarim 4:12). Rabbi Elazar said, We have to examine this verse. IT SAYS "the voice of the words." What does that mean? AND HE ANSWERS that IT MEANS voice is considered speech, since every speech comes from it. THE VOICE IS ZEIR ANPIN AND SPEECH IS MALCHUT, BUT SINCE WORDS COME FROM VOICE, MALCHUT IS CALLED "THE VOICE OF THE WORDS." Hence it is written, "And Hashem spoke to you OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE," since speech comes from that place, MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED FIRE. And it, MALCHUT, is called "the voice of the words." Vaetchanan: Verse 19 אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְעִים, דִּשְׁמִיעָה לָא תַּלְיָא אֶלָּא בְּהַאי. בְּגִין דִּשְׁמִיעָה בְּדִבּוּר תַּלְיָא. וּבג"כ אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְעִים. וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, וְרָצַע אֲדוֹנָיו אֶת אָזְנוֹ בַּמַּרְצֵעַ, בְּגִין דְּפָגִים אַתְרָא דְּאִקְרֵי שְׁמִיעָה, וְהוּא דִּבּוּר וְהוּא שְׁמִיעָה. "You heard," since hearing depends on it, ON MALCHUT, since hearing comes from speech. Hence IT IS WRITTEN, "You heard." This has already been explained. "And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl" (Shemot 21:6), because he blemished that place called hearing, which means both words and hearing.

  • Sunday · 48 min

    260802.Vaetchanan v013

    260802.Vaetchanan v013 Vaetchanan: Verse 13 "You have begun to show Your servant" (Devarim 3:23). HE ASKS, What manner of a beginning is here, IN SAYING, "YOU HAVE BEGUN?" AND HE ANSWERS, Surely Moses was a beginning in the world, in being absolutely perfect. You may say that Jacob was perfect PRIOR TO MOSES. For the tree, ZEIR ANPIN, was perfected through him below as it was above, BECAUSE HE HAD TWELVE SONS THAT CORRESPOND TO THE TWELVE BORDERS OF ZEIR ANPIN AND SEVENTY SOULS THAT CORRESPOND TO THE SEVENTY BRANCHES IN THE SUPERNAL TREE, ZEIR ANPIN. It is surely so. But Moses attained what no one else did, by being more completely bedecked with many thousands and tens of thousands of people of Yisrael, with the Torah, with the Tabernacle, with the priests and Levites, with the twelve tribes, WITH TWELVE princes appointed over them, with the seventy members of the Sanhedrin. He was completed in a whole body, THE SECRET OF TIFERET THAT INCLUDES RIGHT AND LEFT. For Aaron was to his right, Nachshon to his left and he was between them. Vaetchanan: Verse 14 For that reason IT IS WRITTEN, "YOU HAVE BEGUN TO SHOW YOUR SERVANT Your greatness," NAMELY from the right, Aaron; "and Your mighty hand" (Ibid.), NAMELY from the left, which is Nachshon. We already learned that. It was Moses therefore who was a beginning in the world, AND NOT JACOB. You may ask who was the ending. AND HE ANSWERS, King Messiah is the ending, because then there will be perfection in the world, which was not the case for generations. At that time perfection will abide above and below, and all the worlds will be united as one. Then it is written, "on that day Hashem shall be one, and His name One" (Zecharyah 14:9). Vaetchanan: Verse 15 "And Hashem said to me, Let it suffice you; speak no more..." (Devarim 3:26). Rabbi Chiya said, The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: 'Moses, "Let it suffice you" to have joined the Shechinah. From now on, "speak no more." Rabbi Yitzchak said, "Let it suffice you," the light of the sun that was with you; "no more" because the time for the moon has come, WHICH IS JOSHUA, and the moon cannot shine until the sun is gathered. "But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him" (Ibid. 28). You, who are the sun, should illuminate the moon. We have already learned this. Vaetchanan: Verse 16 "But you that did cleave to Hashem your Elohim" (Devarim 4:4). Rabbi Yosi said, "Happy is that people, that is in such a case" (Tehilim 144:15). Happy is the people whom the Holy One, blessed be He, has chosen above all heathen peoples and raised to His lot, and blessed them with His blessing, with His name's blessing. This is the meaning of, "they are the seed which Hashem has blessed" (Yeshayah 61:9), Hashem has actually blessed, NAMELY, THE BLESSING OF HIS NAME. Vaetchanan: Verse 17 Come and see, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave all the rest of the nations in the world to the appointed ministers that rule over them. As for Yisrael, the Holy One, blessed be He, held to them for His lot and portion, to actually unite with them. And He gave them the holy Torah in order to unite with His name. Hence, "you that did cleave to Hashem," and not to any other minister as the other nations. This has been explained in different places. Vaetchanan: Verse 18 "And Hashem spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words..." (Devarim 4:12). Rabbi Elazar said, We have to examine this verse. IT SAYS "the voice of the words." What does that mean? AND HE ANSWERS that IT MEANS voice is considered speech, since every speech comes from it. THE VOICE IS ZEIR ANPIN AND SPEECH IS MALCHUT, BUT SINCE WORDS COME FROM VOICE, MALCHUT IS CALLED "THE VOICE OF THE WORDS." Hence it is written, "And Hashem spoke to you OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE," since speech comes from that place, MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED FIRE. And it, MALCHUT, is called "the voice of the words."

  • July 30 · 18 min

    260730.Vaetchanan v008

    260730.Vaetchanan v008 Vaetchanan: Verse 8 ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּב"נ קָאֵים בְּפַלְגּוּת לֵילְיָא מֵעַרְסֵיהּ, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כָּרוֹזָא קָארֵי עָלֵיהּ וְאָמַר, הִנֵּה בָּרֲכוּ אֶת יְיָ' כָּל עַבְדֵי יְיָ' הָעוֹמְדִים בְּבֵית יְיָ' בַּלֵּילוֹת. הַשְׁתָּא כַּד אִיהוּ קָאֵים בִּצְלוֹתָא קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, הַהוּא כָּרוֹזָא קָּארֵי עָלֵיהּ וְאָמַר, וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעוֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה. Come and see, when man rises at midnight from his bed to be occupied with the Torah, a crier announces over him, saying, "Behold, bless Hashem, all you servants of Hashem, who stand by night in the house of Hashem" (Tehilim 134:1). Now IN THE MORNING, when he stands in prayer before his Master, the crier proclaims about him saying, "I will give you access among these who stand by." Vaetchanan: Verse 9 בָּתַר דִּמְסַיֵּים צְלוֹתָא בִּרְעוּ קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דְּבָעֵי לְמִימְסַר נַפְשֵׁיהּ בִּרְעוּתָא דְּלִבָּא, לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. וְכַמָּה עֵיטִין אִית לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּכֺלָּא. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא קַיְּימָא, כָּל אִינּוּן מִלִּין דְּאַפִּיק בַּר נָשׁ מִפּוּמֵיהּ בְּהַהִיא צְלוֹתָא, כֻּלְּהוּ סַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא, וּבָקְעִין אֲוִירִין וּרְקִיעִין, עַד דְּמָטוּ לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּמָטוּ וּמִתְעַטְּרוּ בְּרֵישָׁא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְעָבֵיד מִנַּיְיהוּ עֲטָרָה. וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, צְלוֹתָא דְּבָעֵי ב"נ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְכַוְּונָא דִּיהֵא צְלוֹתָא תַּחֲנוּנִים. מְנָלָן. מִמֺּשֶׁה, דִּכְתִּיב וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְיָ.' דָּא אִיהוּ צְלוֹתָא מֵעַלְיָא. After finishing his prayer favorably before his Master, it was explained that it behooves him to deliver his soul with a willing heart to the required place, NAMELY MALCHUT. Man has many counsels about anything. When he is in prayer, all the words a man utters in his mouth in that prayer rise up and cleave airs and firmaments until they reach wherever they reach. They are adorned on the head of the King, who turns them into a diadem. The friends explained that when a man asks the Holy One, blessed be He in his prayer, he should meditate for it to be a prayer of supplication. Whence do we know that? From Moses, as it is written, "And I besought Hashem" (Devarim 3:23). Such is a goodly prayer. Vaetchanan: Verse 10 ת"ח, מַאן דְּקָאֵים בִּצְלוֹתָא, בָּעֵי לְכַוְּונָא רַגְלוֹי, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. וּבָעֵי לְחַפְּיָא רֵישֵׁיהּ, כְּמַאן דְּקָאֵים קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא. וּבָעֵי לְמִכְסְיָיה עֵינוֹי, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִסְתָּכַּל בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא אָמַר, מַאן דְּפָקַח עֵינוֹי בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא, אוֹ דְּלָא מָאִיךְ עֵינוֹי בְּאַרְעָא, אַקְדִּים עָלֵיהּ מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, וְכַד תִּיפּוּק נַפְשֵׁיהּ, לָא יִסְתָּכַּל בִּנְהִירוּ דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וְלָא יָמוּת בִּנְשִׁיקָה. מַאן דִּמְזַלְזֵל בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא מִתְּזַלְזֵּל הוּא בְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ בֵּיהּ, הה"ד, כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ. Come and see, whoever stands in prayer should straighten his legs, which has already been explained. He should cover his head as one standing before the king and cover his eyes so as not to behold the Shechinah. In his book Rav Hamnuna Saba said, Whoever opens his eyes during prayer or does not lower his eyes to the ground, the Angel of Death comes to him earlier. When his soul goes out, WHEN HE DEPARTS FROM THE WORLD, he will not see the light of the Shechinah nor die by a kiss. Whoever treats the Shechinah lightly is treated lightly when he needs Her. This is the meaning of, "for them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (I Shmuel 2:30).

  • July 29 · 59 min

    260729.Vaetchanan v008

    260729.Vaetchanan v008 Vaetchanan: Verse 8 Come and see, when man rises at midnight from his bed to be occupied with the Torah, a crier announces over him, saying, "Behold, bless Hashem, all you servants of Hashem, who stand by night in the house of Hashem" (Tehilim 134:1). Now IN THE MORNING, when he stands in prayer before his Master, the crier proclaims about him saying, "I will give you access among these who stand by." Vaetchanan: Verse 9 After finishing his prayer favorably before his Master, it was explained that it behooves him to deliver his soul with a willing heart to the required place, NAMELY MALCHUT. Man has many counsels about anything. When he is in prayer, all the words a man utters in his mouth in that prayer rise up and cleave airs and firmaments until they reach wherever they reach. They are adorned on the head of the King, who turns them into a diadem. The friends explained that when a man asks the Holy One, blessed be He in his prayer, he should meditate for it to be a prayer of supplication. Whence do we know that? From Moses, as it is written, "And I besought Hashem" (Devarim 3:23). Such is a goodly prayer. Vaetchanan: Verse 10 Come and see, whoever stands in prayer should straighten his legs, which has already been explained. He should cover his head as one standing before the king and cover his eyes so as not to behold the Shechinah. In his book Rav Hamnuna Saba said, Whoever opens his eyes during prayer or does not lower his eyes to the ground, the Angel of Death comes to him earlier. When his soul goes out, WHEN HE DEPARTS FROM THE WORLD, he will not see the light of the Shechinah nor die by a kiss. Whoever treats the Shechinah lightly is treated lightly when he needs Her. This is the meaning of, "for them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (I Shmuel 2:30). Vaetchanan: Verse 11 YOU TALK ABOUT he who beholds the Shechinah when he prays, yet how can he look at the Shechinah? AND HE ANSWERS, It means knowing the Shechinah is surely before him WHEN HE PRAYS. HENCE HE MUST NOT OPEN HIS EYES. This is the meaning of, "Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall" (Yeshayah 38:2), where the Shechinah rested. For that reason there must be nothing between him and the wall WHEN HE PRAYS. This has already been explained. Vaetchanan: Verse 12 Whoever stands in prayer should first arrange the praise of his Master and then recite his own prayer. For this is what Moses said first, "You have begun..." (Devarim 3:23), and at last HE RECITED HIS PRAYER, "I pray You, let me go over..." (Ibid. 25). Rabbi Yehuda said, What is the difference here in first saying Adonai spelled Aleph Dalet Nun Yud and then Yud Hei Vav Hei, which we pronounce Elohim, NAMELY "ADONAI ELOHIM, YOU HAVE BEGUN..." HE ANSWERS, The order is so, from below upwards, SINCE ADONAI IS MALCHUT AND YUD HEI VAV HEI IS ZEIR ANPIN. HE SAID IT SO in order to include the quality of day with night and the quality of night with day and unify everything together properly. THE QUALITY OF DAY IS ZEIR ANPIN AND THE QUALITY OF NIGHT IS MALCHUT.

  • July 28 · 56 min

    260728.Vaetchanan v001

    260728.Vaetchanan v001 Vaetchanan: Verse 1 "And I besought Hashem at that time, saying, Adonai Elohim, You began to show Your servant" (Devarim 3:23-24). Rabbi Yosi opened with, "Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to Hashem" (Yeshayah 38:2). Come and see how powerful is the force of the Torah and how superior it is to anything else. For whoever is occupied with the Torah does not fear the higher or lower beings, nor fear evil incidents in the work, because he is attached to the Tree of Life, WHICH IS THE TORAH, and eats from it daily. Vaetchanan: Verse 2 For the Torah teaches man to walk the path of truth and gives him counsel how to repent before his Master. Even when he is sentenced to death, everything is repealed and gone from him, not to rest upon him. Therefore he should be occupied with the Torah day and night and not move from it. This is the meaning of, "but you shall meditate therein day and night" (Yehoshua 1:8). If he removed the Torah from himself or separates from it, it is as if he separated from life. Vaetchanan: Verse 3 Come and see, there is advice for man. When he climbs into his bed at night, he should accept upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven wholeheartedly and hasten to give Him the deposit of his Nefesh. It was explained that this is since every man tastes AT NIGHT the taste of death, because the tree of death rests upon the world, WHICH IS MALCHUT. And all the spirits of people come out, rise and hide in it, IN MALCHUT. Since they are GIVEN as a deposit, they all return LATER to their place. Vaetchanan: Verse 4 Come and see, when the north wind awakens at midnight, the crier comes out and the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to the Garden of Eden to be delighted in the spirits of the righteous, and all the members of the Queen's household and all the members of the chamber are roused to praise the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN. Then the deposits of the spirits handed to her, TO MALCHUT, are all returned to their owners. Most people awaken from their sleep at that time, and their deposits are returned to them all. Vaetchanan: Verse 5 The members of the highest chamber, WHO SERVE HASHEM, take resolve and awaken to be occupied with the praises of the Torah. They join the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, until daylight. When morning comes, he, together with all the members of the King's chamber, comes to the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN. They are called the children of the King and Queen. This was already explained. Vaetchanan: Verse 6 When morning comes, one should clean himself in every respect, THE CLEANLINESS OF BOTH BODY AND SOUL, put on his arms, NAMELY THE TZITZIT AND TEFILIN, and endeavor by the Holy King, ZEIR ANPIN, since at night he endeavored by the Queen. Now IN THE MORNING he comes with the Queen to join her to the King. Vaetchanan: Verse 7 He comes to the synagogue, cleanses himself by reciting the offerings, and sings the praises of King David. Fastened with Tefilin on his head and Tzitzit at the corners of his garment, he recites "A praise of David" (Tehilim 145). It was explained that he who prays before his Master should stand when praying like the supernal angels and join those who are called 'those who stand by,' as it is written, "I will give you access among these who stand by" (Zecharyah 3:7). IT BEHOOVES HIM to concentrate his will before his Master and submit his petition. Vaetchanan: Verse 8 Come and see, when man rises at midnight from his bed to be occupied with the Torah, a crier announces over him, saying, "Behold, bless Hashem, all you servants of Hashem, who stand by night in the house of Hashem" (Tehilim 134:1). Now IN THE MORNING, when he stands in prayer before his Master, the crier proclaims about him saying, "I will give you access among these who stand by."

  • July 2 · 41 min

    260702.Pinchas v010

    260702.Pinchas v010 Pinchas: Verse 10 לב"נ דְּבָנֵי בִּנְיָין שְׁפִּירָן, יָאָן לְמֵחֱזֵי, אִסְתָּכַּל בִּיסוֹדָא, וְחָמֵי לֵיהּ שְׁקִיעַ עֲקִימָא מִכָל סִטְרִין. הָא בִּנְיָינָא לָא שְׁלִים, עַד דְּסָתַר לֵיהּ, וְאַתְקִין לֵיהּ כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין. מִסִּטְרָא דְּהַהוּא בִּנְיָינָא דִּילֵיהּ, אִשְׁתְּכַח טַב וְשַׁפִּיר. מִסִּטְרָא דִּיְסוֹדָא, בִּישׁ וְעָקִים. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, לָא אִקְרֵי עוֹבָדָא שְׁלִים, לָא אִקְרֵי בִּנְיָינָא שְׁלִים. בג"כ צַדִיק שֶׁאֵינוֹ גָּמוּר אִקְרֵי, וְנִדְחֶה. וע"ד כְּבַלַּע רָשָׁע צַדִּיק מִמֶּנּוּ. HE IS LIKENED TO a man who constructs beautiful and attractive buildings. Look at the foundation and see how it is sunken and twisted in all directions. The building will not be perfect until he has demolished it and rebuilt it as it was, NAMELY, AS IT SHOULD BE. Thus in terms of the superstructure of the building that he constructed, everything was good and fine but in terms of the edifice's foundation it is bad and twisted, and for this reason is not referred to as a perfect deed, and not considered a perfect building. AND SO IT IS WITH THE INCARNATED MAN. ALTHOUGH IN TERMS OF HIS DEEDS HE IS RIGHTEOUS, NEVERTHELESS, SINCE HE HAS NOT YET REMEDIED THE EFFECTS OF THE SINS HE COMMITTED THE FIRST TIME THAT HE CAME INTO THE WORLD, he is called 'an incompletely righteous person' because of it and he is held back BY A WICKED MAN. And about this SCRIPTURE SAYS, "When the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he" (Chavakuk 1:13). Pinchas: Verse 11 ת"ח, מַאן דִּמְקַנֵּא לִשְׁמָא קַדִישָׁא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דַּאֲפִילּוּ לָא יִזְכֵי לַגְּדּוּלָה, וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לָהּ, רָוַוח לָהּ וְנָטִיל לָהּ. פִּנְחָס לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא, וּבְגִין דְּקִנֵּא לִשְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, רָוַוח לְכֹלָּא, וְסָלִיק לְכֹלָּא, וְאִתְתָּקַּן בֵּיהּ כֹּלָּא וְזָכָה לְאִשְׁתַּמְּשָׁא בִּכְהוּנָה עִלָּאָה. מֵהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא, פִּנְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן, דְּאַשְׁלִים לִתְרֵין דַּרְגִּין, בְּגִין דְּקַנֵּא לִשְׁמָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, דְּאִתְתְּקַן מַה דְּאִתְעַקָּם. Come and see: One who is zealous for the Holy Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, even if he is not designated for greatness and is not worthy of it, he earns it and gains it. Pinchas was not worthy OF THE PRIESTHOOD at that time, but because he was zealous for the name of his Master, he earned everything and rose to the highest position, and everything was put right within him, and he was privileged to serve in the supreme priesthood. From then on he was referred to as Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, WITH THE WORD 'SON' OCCURRING TWICE since he completed two levels, THAT IS, HE MADE GOOD FOR HIMSELF AND ALSO FOR THE SOULS OF NADAV AND ABIHU WHICH HAD INCARNATED IN HIM, WHO ARE THE SONS OF AARON AND IT IS THEREFORE WRITTEN "THE SON OF ELAZAR, THE SON OF AARON." And this was because he was zealous for the name of his Master and put the wrong right, FOR HE CORRECTED HIMSELF AND ALSO THE ASPECT OF THE SOULS OF NADAV AND ABIHU THAT WERE INCARNATED IN HIM. Pinchas: Verse 12 Rabbi Yehuda began: "Preserve my soul; for I am pious: Save Your servant..." (Tehilim 86:2). One has to look at the end of the verse, and then at the whole verse. At the end of the verse it says, "who trusts in You." HE ASKS, Should it not have said, "who trusts You?" HE ANSWERS: apparently David promised not to be asleep when midnight passed, as it is written: "At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You" (Tehilim 119:62). He should have said, "I arose," but THE MEANING IS, I will arise and be bound to You forever.

  • July 2 · 44 min

    260701.Pinchas v004

    260701.Pinchas v004 Pinchas: Verse 4 Rabbi Shimon said: It is as if all those who are privileged to engage in Torah at midnight and ad the day begins to dawn come with the Queen to welcome the King, grow stronger and take possession of the Shechinah. Moreover, a thread of grace hangs over such a one, as the sages have explained. Pinchas: Verse 5 Come and see: Everyone who is privileged to be strengthened in the Shechinah gains protection for himself from those matters that are considered to be opposed TO THE SHECHINAH. Who is protected? Those who do not falsify by the sign of the Holy Covenant LIKE MATING WITH the daughter of a foreign El. And he who is careful, as it were, the Congregation of Yisrael is linked to him, in turn, and protects him and welcomes him. And this is even more so if he has been privileged to attain it, THE SIGN OF THE HOLY COVENANT. Pinchas: Verse 6 Rabbi Shimon said: Yisrael at that time would have deserved to have been extirpated from the world had not Pinchas first done the deed OF KILLING ZIMRI AND COZBI, and thus the anger abated. This is what is said: "Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away" (Bemidbar 25:11). Another explanation: "Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of...:" Rabbi Shimon said, The word son occurs twice to complete the act. Pinchas: Verse 7 Rabbi Shimon said: When the soul of a person reincarnates, MEANING A SECOND TIME AROUND, without gaining merits to be changed for the better, it is as though he betrays the truth of the King and I apply to him the verse, ."..or has found that which was lost, and have lied concerning it, and have sworn falsely..." (Vayikra 5:22). "And have lied concerning it," MEANING TO THE SOUL, it would have been better for him had he not been created, FOR IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HAD HE NOT REINCARNATED INTO THIS WORLD. Pinchas: Verse 8 We have learned: A totally righteous person is not put off BY AN EVIL PERSON AND MAY CHALLENGE HIM, but one who is not totally righteous is held back AND IS FORBIDDEN TO CHALLENGE AN EVIL PERSON. HE ASKS, Who is totally righteous? And who is incompletely righteous? And could it be that one who is not perfect in his deeds is nevertheless called 'righteous,' THAT IS, THAT YOU REFER TO HIM AS AN INCOMPLETE RIGHTEOUS? FOR SOMEONE WHO IS LACKING IN HIS DEEDS, ACCORDING TO HOW THEY SHOULD BE, OUGHT TO BE CALLED 'EVIL.' HE ANSWERS, it is known that a totally righteous person is one who has not undergone crooked incarnations THAT IS, HE IS NOT INCARNATED and within his OWN inheritance he constructs edifices, puts up walls, digs wells and plants trees. THAT IS TO SAY, ALL THE GOOD DEEDS THAT HE DID PERTAIN TO HIM, FOR HE HAS NO NEED OF IMPROVING OTHERS. Pinchas: Verse 9 An incompletely righteous person IS one who constructs edifices on someone else's inheritance, THAT IS TO SAY, WHOSE SOUL IS ON ITS SECOND INCARNATION BECAUSE HE WAS WICKED THE FIRST TIME, WITH THE RESULT THAT ALL HIS GOOD DEEDS ARE NEEDED TO REPAIR THE SOUL FROM THE FIRST TIME THAT IT CAME INTO THE WORLD, AND SO HIS EDIFICES ARE BUILT WITHIN SOMEONE ELSE'S INHERITANCE. He digs wells within it and cultivates it, restores the foundation stones to the way they were, and labors there, but does not know whether it will remain his. For in terms of himself, THAT IS, ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS IN THIS INCARNATION, he is good, and is considered righteous person. But in terms of the legacy, THAT IS, IN TERMS OF HIS DEEDS ON THE FIRST TIME HE CAME INTO THE WORLD, he is not so. THAT IS TO SAY, HE HAS NOT YET REMEDIED THE EFFECTS OF THE SINS COMMITTED THE FIRST TIME.