Language for Speaking About Holiness – Explanation of the Dispute Between the Mahartzah of Ziditchov and the Apter Rav | Zohar Beha’alotcha 5786 (Auto Translated)

Learning Kabbalah in a Group: The Middle Class of Chassidus

Introduction: Returning to the Foundation of the Chavurah

Rabbosai (gentlemen), today is Erev Shabbos (Friday) Parshas Behaaloscha, and in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) it’s already Parshas Shelach. And as we spoke about this extensively last week, but our shiur (lesson) won’t have much to do with the parsha. In any case, so, in Eretz Yisrael it’s already Shabbos, so it doesn’t make a big nafka minah (practical difference).

We want to speak, we want to speak this Shabbos for the shiur, as we’ve done most of the year, except for Sefiras HaOmer around Pesach and Shavuos when we took on the inyanei hachag (matters of the holiday). Now it’s already after the yom tov (holiday), we’re planning to go back to learning. And we want to learn more, back to the topic which is the topic Thursday night, Wednesday night, in the shiur of Shemonah Perakim (Eight Chapters) of the Rambam. We want to learn similar things, the topic, the same sugya (Talmudic topic), try to see how we understand it al pi Zohar (according to the Zohar), al pi Kabbalah (according to Kabbalah), how we understand the same sugya.

Returning to the Beginning: The Introduction of the Chavurah

And I want to review, first of all as an introduction, I need to constantly go back to the beginning, always go back, chozer larosh (return to the head), yes? That’s the halachah (Jewish law) in tefillah (prayer), that if someone gets confused, someone doesn’t know where he was holding, he got mixed up, he goes chozer larosh. One must always go back to the shoresh ha’inyan (root of the matter), shoresh hadavar (root of the thing), why we’re learning at all.

We say like this, we’re learning, we’re trying to learn in Sefer HaZohar (the Book of Zohar). And the reason is, the reason is, I saw, I saw again last week, there is a letter that Reb Hershele Ziditchover wrote to the Apter Rav, printed in all the places where they printed his letters, a beautiful beautiful letter.

The Letter of Reb Hershele Ziditchover: The Dispute About Learning Kabbalah Publicly

Reb Hershele’s Project: Printing Sifrei Kabbalah and Making Chavuros

And Reb Hershele Ziditchover wanted very strongly to print the Eitz Chaim of the Arizal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, may his memory be for a blessing), Zohar, other sifrei Kabbalah (books of Kabbalah), so that people should learn. His project was to make chavuros (study groups), people should be able to learn together sodas haTorah (secrets of the Torah).

And the Apter Rav at that time wasn’t satisfied with this. The Apter Rav held that it was too much, one shouldn’t establish learning Kabbalah publicly. Perhaps, certainly he himself learned Kabbalah, his teachings are all al pi Kabbalah, but the Apter Rav didn’t hold of this.

Reb Hershele’s Arguments and Efforts

And Reb Hershele Ziditchover writes a beautiful letter at length to the Apter Rav to persuade him that he shouldn’t be opposed at least, or even that he should support the printing of Kabbalah sefarim (books), essentially in a general way that Reb Hershele’s derech (path) that one learns publicly and in a chavurah together, one learns Kabbalah, a very important thing this topic of learning in a chavurah.

He also wrote a sefer (book) about this, it’s called “Sur Mera V’aseh Tov” (Turn from Evil and Do Good), wrote a sefer which is all like an advertisement for why one must learn Zohar, why one must learn Eitz Chaim, why one must learn Kabbalah. And the first thing he says there is that one must learn it together with other Jews, one can’t learn alone.

Chassidic Politics: The Dispute Between Different Paths

The Apter Rav and the “Old Way”

And this we will bring out. It’s like there’s a politics, I always love to speak about Chassidic politics. The Apter Rav, as everyone knows, he was opposed to Pshischa, opposed to Zhikov. The Apter Rav almost represented here like a certain, they call it the old way, a certain way.

It’s not truly the old way, the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid were certainly closer to that way, but the later rebbes, a portion of them held that this was for yechidei segulah (exceptional individuals), for very elevated Jews who came to the Baal Shem, who came to the Maggid, and one spoke clearly openly divrei Kabbalah (words of Kabbalah), divrei Chassidus (words of Chassidus), deep matters of Elokus (Godliness).

The Mass Movement and the Privatization of Sodas HaTorah

But when later it became a great mass movement for hamon am (the masses) to come, there was a portion of rebbes, like the Apter Rav, perhaps the Rebbe Reb Zusha of Anipoli, the Rebbe Reb Elimelech, others who didn’t like, didn’t hold that one could speak to everyone so openly what had been spoken. And consequently it became that the omek haChassidus (depth of Chassidus), the omek hasodos (depth of the secrets), sodas haTorah, sodas darkei ha’avodah (secrets of the paths of service), became very private. One spoke perhaps among themselves.

The Apter Rav’s Approach: “Haazinu Hashamayim V’tishma Ha’aretz”

And even the Rebbe, the Apter Rav says that the Rebbe says Torah, he says it in heaven, “Haazinu Hashamayim” (Give ear, O heavens) – the Rebbe says Torah in heaven, he says Torah for the neshamah (soul), but “V’tishma Ha’aretz” (and let the earth hear) – these are the bodies, the simple Jews who don’t understand, they hear, but the Rebbe is elevating the Torah, and they receive a hisromamus hanefesh (elevation of the soul) from it, they receive some his’alus hanefesh (uplift of the soul), although they don’t actually understand.

This is what the Apter Rav wrote explicitly in his sefer, and so he did, one can see in his sefer “Ohev Yisrael” divrei Kabbalah, divrei Chassidus, actually, how he said in his Chassidus, and what he and other chassidim and tzaddikim and rebbes in that circle conducted, that they didn’t want to open the learning that they learned to the public.

The Result: A Disconnect Between Rebbe and Chassidim

And when one speaks, one must know at all when one speaks. I’ll mention whom exactly one means. There are so many levels. One can speak of kollel young men, people who are blessed with the ability to truly open a sefer and learn, and they will begin to understand it. That’s one level.

One can speak of what are called baalei batim (householders), or not necessarily, it’s not so much because one works or not, it’s more because of the level of people, the level of ability, whether one had a good education, whether one went to yeshiva, whether one can learn a piece of Zohar with depth, and the like.

But an interesting thing happened, that the rebbes who were more in the Apter Rav style, not only that they spoke with the masses that they spoke to. Okay, I can’t have complaints, although one can have the opposite complaint, if so, why do you speak Chassidic teachings at all? Why don’t you tell him simple words of mussar (ethics), of Yiddishkeit (Judaism)? Why do you call such lofty teachings?

And to this the Apter Rav answers with his Torah of “Haazinu Hashamayim V’tishma Ha’aretz,” and other teachings, as if the Rebbe becomes very far from the public, there becomes a great nesek (disconnect, distance). The Rebbe speaks high into heaven, and the chassidim cook in this, but they don’t understand a word that he says. The main thing is that one catches a certain hislahavus (enthusiasm), one catches a certain cheshek (desire), and the Rebbe prays, and one gives kvitlach (notes) to the Rebbe, and the Rebbe gives yeshuos (salvations) and hidden things and all such sorts of things.

The Middle Class of Chassidus: The Innovation of Reb Hershele Ziditchover

The Third Level: Lamdanim Who Are Not Yechidei Segulah

But then there is another level of people, and I think that our chavurah is mostly for that level of people, and one must make the point clear. Then there is another level of people, whom one can’t say that they are the yechidei segulah. Really, is every kollel young man the gaon hador (genius of the generation), the gadol hador (great one of the generation)? Eh, forget it. Yes?

Every yeshiva bachur (student), one learns from yeshiva bachurim how deep one can go in Torah. Every one of them, a large portion of them. And if there weren’t the institution of yeshiva, there wouldn’t be this reality.

Today’s Reality: Expansion of Learning

Today there is much expansion, even one who must work has much time, there are sefarim that explain everything well, baruch v’baruch haketanim (blessed be the small ones – thank God), and there’s no true excuse that someone can’t learn any reality in Torah. On every subject there are good introductory books and introductory sefarim and shiurim, and one can go online and offline and find whatever one wants one can find. There’s nothing, we live in a different world.

The Historical Problem: In Reb Hershele’s Time

Yes, the Apter Rav, because I’m speaking here about an essay of Reb Hershele Ziditchover, Reb Hershele Ziditchover wanted to learn Kabbalah, there weren’t any sefarim, literally couldn’t buy any Eitz Chaim to learn. He had to go to the printer, they had to persuade him. He says there the names of the printers, they had to persuade him, he says that it will be a good business, he persuaded that one should learn it, and the printer will print the sefer, he’ll sell it to his chassidim, and it will be good business for you.

Come other things that one had to print the sefarim so it should exist at all, he said that it wasn’t widespread at all. Those who understand know, one can track how one learned certain sefarim there how many times it was printed, and the sifrei Kabbalah were printed a few times.

There was in Chassidic Hungary there was a printing later, and in other places like Lubavitch where they worked on printing Chassidus sefarim, Kabbalah sefarim, so that one should be able to learn, so that one should be able to be. But essentially there was a problem, it wasn’t there. Even what there was, there were two sefarim, it wasn’t much corrected, there were various errors and mixed up, it was hard to learn.

Today: No Excuses

Today there aren’t all these excuses, there is every sefer of Kabbalah and Chassidus with charts, with pictures, with whatever one wants there is. And we live in a tremendous world, we must be very happy, we must be very happy.

As Reb Pinchas of Koretz says, he’s happy that he was born after the Zohar was printed, after the Zohar was publicized. We must be very happy that we live after the hashalas hageulah (beginning of redemption), after there is a sefarim store in every Jewish area, one can buy whichever sefer and whichever editions one wants, one can buy, one can print out from online, one doesn’t even need to buy, one can even print out there what one needs. It’s a tremendous expansion.

The Main Point: The Middle Class Is Missing in Chassidus

But, so what I want to speak about is, this is on the level. Now, we are people like us, people like us, baalei kisharon (talented people), and let’s say, one doesn’t speak of hamon am. There is a whole choice to learn, to learn every sefer, Zohar, Eitz Chaim, Arizal, sifrei Kabbalah of Rishonim (early authorities), sifrei Chassidus, deep Chassidus sefarim, Chabad sefarim, and Breslov sefarim, and Polish sefarim.

Not only like learning Sfas Emes, which one learns like chizuk (strengthening), which everyone can learn. That’s a bit, it doesn’t fit. We are people who learn, as one learns Gemara one doesn’t learn just three little sayings, hayotzei (what comes out), it’s a shame, yes?

What Does “Middle Class” Mean in Learning?

A young man who considers himself a rav muvhak (established rabbi), a mayan (source), he goes to kollel, when he learns in kollel he doesn’t learn only, either he’s not only practical halachah lemaaseh (practical law) how many days one needs to count for a niddah (menstruant woman), which one learns for chassanim (grooms) in some Torah classes, or he’s not only like sayings, like let’s say mussar, let’s say one goes to yeshiva ketanah (small yeshiva), one says to the bachurim certain little teachings of mussar, and just almost a taste in Torah, or a Daf Yomi shiur where the maggid shiur (teacher) learns a bit in depth, he says these are such words that are geshmak (enjoyable).

I’m not speaking only of this, I’m speaking of people who are capable of opening the sefer, to learn the sugya from beginning to end, to know clearly what is the shitas haRambam (opinion of Maimonides), what is the shitas haRaavad (opinion of Raavad), what is the shitas haTosafos (opinion of Tosafos), to come out clearly with one’s own shitah (approach), to be able to be machria (decide) between the Rambam and Tosafos, who fits better in the Gemara, how will each one understand the Gemara.

These are basic things which, not basic, it’s very advanced, but it’s basic things that today there are thousands of young men who are on the level that they can learn this.

The Claim: One Can’t Speak to Lamdanim Like to Hamon Am

And for this level of people there has always been such a level, right? The level of lamdanim (scholars) one can call it. But not necessarily lamdanim, not tzadikei hador (righteous ones of the generation), not gaonei hador (geniuses of the generation), not masmedim (diligent students) who learn twenty-four hours a day. I’m speaking of simple level lamdanim.

It can’t be that the Admor or the Chassidic Rebbe should speak to them as if they are a baal habayis (householder) who doesn’t know anything except for some sugar cubes that the Rebbe gives him, and some kvitlach that he gives him back. It just can’t be.

Reb Hershele Comes to Solve the Problem

So there is such a very difficult thing, I can perhaps call it the middle class of Chassidus. In Chassidus the middle class is very strongly missing, in most Chassiduses, and even in the Admor Chassiduses.

This is essentially Reb Hershele Ziditchover, he was a critic, I may repeat his criticism. He doesn’t say criticism, he writes simply with respect to the Admor, and he brings in his diplomacy also, but essentially his claim, I look at it, that Reb Hershele Ziditchover comes to solve the middle class of Chassidus.

What Is the Middle Class?

The middle class in learning, the middle class in hasagas Hashem (comprehension of God), the middle class in avodas Hashem (service of God). He says, certainly the Admor’s level of hasagah (comprehension) that he thinks among the angels and the seraphim, and we don’t hold there. He says clearly, the Rebbe is above this.

And certainly, he doesn’t say the second side, but I think it’s simple and clear, certainly the one who can’t even barely read Hebrew from a siddur, it can go further perhaps to another investigation, what is the right way the Rebbe should conduct himself with him, but it’s not at all what the Apter Rav is asking.

The Middle Class in Chassidus: Reb Hershele Tchartkov’s Fight for Learning the Zohar

Chapter 2: The Missing Middle Class in Chassidus

The Central Problem

It just can’t be.

So there is a very difficult thing, I would call it like the “middle class” in Chassidus. In Chassidus the middle class is very strongly missing, in most Chassiduses, and even in the Apter Rav’s Chassidus. This is essentially Reb Hershele Ziditchover was a critic, I may repeat his criticism, he doesn’t say criticism, he writes simply with respect to the Apter Rav, I think he was diplomatic also, but essentially his claim, I look at it that Reb Hershele Ziditchover comes here to solve the middle class of Chassidus.

The middle class in learning, the middle class in hasagas Hashem, the middle class in avodas Hashem.

The Two Extremes: The Rebbe and the Simple Jew

He says, certainly the Apter Rav, his level of hasagah that he thinks among the angels and the seraphim, we don’t hold there, he says clearly, the Rebbe is above this. And certainly, he doesn’t say the second side, but I think it’s simple and clear, certainly the one who can’t open, he can barely read Hebrew from a siddur, he can go further, there is another investigation what is the right way the Rebbe should conduct himself with him, but it’s not what the Apter Rav’s derech is asking, he has a holy Rebbe, and the Rebbe blesses him, he kisses the Rebbe’s hand, and everything is fine and well.

For Whom Is the Middle Class Missing?

But what about all the bachurim, young men, and older young men, and grandfathers, who can, they can very well open a Gemara alone, they can very well open a Zohar alone. It’s not, I won’t stop you, why can you already open a Zohar alone? Ah, what didn’t you print? I’ll print it. But here comes in, and here is missing the rebbes, the Kosover rebbes, even the Apter Rav, and today whoever goes in their ways is missing, I mean, missing this level, it’s completely missing.

The Chassiduses today that for the most part they say they go after the derech of the derech, I know, Reb Aharon Karliner wrote, and others, they don’t hold of, not Chabad, we’re not Chabad, we’re not the Toldos, we don’t learn Kabbalah in Chassidus in detail, we hold that there are deeper levels, not everyone is worthy. Very fine, but I haven’t seen a Rebbe who spoke of this from simple fruits, from simple, very simple, well and very holy, and the Baal Shem Tov said one must value every Jew, no one should be disdainful of any Jew, but… he speaks of peasants practically, let’s say.

The Baal Shem Tov’s Words Were Not Said About Kollel Young Men

The Entire Missing Layer

He’s talking about kollel young men? He’s talking about people who understand Reb Chaim Brisker? So he told them they shouldn’t delve deeply into Chassidus and Kabbalah? Could that be? He certainly wasn’t talking about them. On the contrary, he was talking about simple people, not just people who don’t have intellectual comprehension, but people who aren’t great scholars, and they should learn Kabbalah and they’ll actually implement it and actually distort it. Not distort it like some kollel young man, a Lithuanian young man who learns it, let’s say he distorts it a little, but it wasn’t about him that the Rebbe spoke. He spoke about something entirely different.

The Entire Layer That’s Missing

And now there comes an entire layer, an entire level, an entire class, an entire middle class of people who in other matters, if they went to a Lithuanian yeshiva or he grasped a bit how to learn nigleh (revealed Torah), he’s very advanced, he understands very well how to grasp something. But when it comes to real matters that we call Chassidus, yes? In the Chassidic world it’s called Chassidus, in the Rambam’s world it’s called deos (character traits) and philosophy, and by the mekubalim (kabbalists) it’s called Kabbalah.

It’s all the same subject, perhaps different methods how to approach the subject, but it’s all the same subject, the subject of hasagas Hashem (comprehension of God), who is God, yes? “Daas Hashem yodua vadai” (knowledge of God is certainly known), very simple, plain things.

Who is the God that we serve? What does it mean that we serve God? What is avodas Hashem (service of God)? What is the difference between ahavah (love) and yirah (fear), with simchah (joy), with anavah (humility), with chassidus (piety), with kedushah (holiness)? What are all these things?

And people cook themselves, “the Keilim is nursery, the Keilim is for a three-year-old child, or the Keilim is for the peasant who at most can go to the Rebbe to grab a hisorerus (inspiration) from how the Rebbe sings at the amud (lectern).” This is a shame, and it’s not just a shame, it’s not made.

Chapter 3: The Principle of “Bar Hachi” — Whoever Can and Doesn’t Have, Is Worse

The Fundamental Principle

The principle is, just as the principle is that a Jew is a talmid (student), he’s more than not a non-Jew. Because one who is entitled to a level, a greater level of kedushah (holiness) and he doesn’t have it, he’s not less.

You can’t be as honest a Jew as the peasant that you can be with his baby comprehensions, because you can’t.

You do have the vessels to be more than him, you have the vessels to be among the masigim (those who comprehend), among the mekubalim, among the maskilim (enlightened ones), “yazhiru k’zohar harakia” (they will shine like the brightness of the heavens). And you don’t want to take the vessels and say, “No, I’ll go with simplicity”?

You Won’t Be a Tam (Simple One)

You won’t be a simple Jew, you’ll be an am ha’aretz (ignoramus), you’ll be something worse. You’ll be a great fool. Not that one isn’t a fool, that one is straight, he’s a tam. You won’t be a tam, you’ll be something neither this nor that. You’ll be worse than that, because this is the principle: Everyone who is bar hachi (capable), every vessel that is worthy of a greater thing, when he doesn’t have it he’s worse.

There’s no such thing as a minimum, at least grab the minimum. That’s not how the world works.

Chapter 4: Reb Hershele Tchartkov’s Practical Work

The Two Fronts of Work

So, Reb Hershele Tchartkov, I’ll go back to my story, I’ll tell you just a story from my grandfather. Reb Hershele Tchartkov worked very hard on this matter, and he was strengthened that the Rebbe didn’t allow it.

A. The Physical Problems

If there’s a physical problem, yes, there are no sefarim (books), one needs to find a solution, one needs to see about printing, talk with the printers how to print sefarim, one writes commentaries, one talks about this. But there’s a big problem with the versions, and in the Zohar there are many textual variants, and often one doesn’t know the correct version, one needs to work on this, search for the correct version, write perhaps a commentary, see the Masok MiDevash and grandchildren, he wrote a commentary on the Zohar on the plain meaning, Yafeh Shaah, Masok MiDevash already worked there, to write simple… in a way that one can write simple pshat (plain meaning) of the Zohar, so one can understand all these things. He worked on this.

B. The Rebbe Problems

And if there’s another problem, a Rebbe problem, there’s a great Rebbe, the holy Apta Rav, who has much power and much honor, and people respect him, people listen to what he says, he involved himself in this. He wrote a letter to the Apta Rav to explain why… what he means here, what he says here.

Chapter 5: The Letter to the Apta Rav — The Main Argument

What the Apta Rav Does When He Says Torah

And what he says to the Apta Rav is like this, I look at it that he doesn’t write, I look at what my grandfather is explaining, but I hold that he explains very well. What he looks at here, and this is the reason why we learn Zohar, and this is the reason why we learn in general in our way.

It’s not made for everyone, it’s not made for thirteen-year-old bochurim (young men), that one can say, and not for people who in general aren’t bar hachi to open a Jewish book and simply understand on their own. But the people who are indeed bar hachi and obligated, well if so, many people say, let them learn Jewish books, let them learn Sfas Emes with Shem MiShmuel, with Pri Tzaddik, very beautiful books, very deep books, and it’s all very fine.

The Baal Shem Tov’s Answer — Everything Is in the Zohar

And here the holy Reb Hershele Tchartkov says like this, he says that the Apta Rav, the holy Rebbe, every Jew to whom he says Torah, every davar Torah (Torah teaching) that he says is mechabeir b’dikei dikos b’tzinorot ha’elyonim (connects with fine precision to the supernal channels). When the Apta Rav says Torah, he’s essentially connecting two noble points that stand in Eitz Chaim in two lines, and he’s explaining how they work together, he brings out how one can do this halachah l’maaseh (in practice) in avodas Hashem, he brings out the hisorerus, he grasps to be fixing the deficiencies of the upper worlds and the lower worlds in his Torah teachings.

But, says the Baal Shem Tov in the answer, if someone doesn’t learn any Zohar, he doesn’t learn any Eitz Chaim, he doesn’t understand a single word from any tzaddik, if the language here, you don’t understand a single word from any Rebbe, from any Chassidic Jew, you don’t understand what’s happening here, you think the Rebbe is pounding into the head. Okay, ah, you believe, you’re a simple Jew, you believe, very good, but you don’t understand.

Chai Roshi — Everything Is in the Zohar

And he says that he swears there, chai roshi (by my head), that every mussar book and every Chassidic book, all of them stand in the Zohar. Whoever learns Zohar, he sees that it stands there. Certainly, the Chassidic books bring it out a bit more, each one according to which parts grabbed him, according to which way he explains, according to which way he brings out the hisorerus from it, the desire from it, and he has a greater virtue. Certainly it’s good and it’s necessary sometimes to learn the commentators, and it’s necessary sometimes to learn the Chassidic books. But, he says, everything truly stands in the Zohar.

Chapter 6: Why Learn in the Source?

The Difference Between Source and Compilations

So why, why should it be, and here I go back, why should someone who can indeed learn in the source? And there’s indeed a tremendous difference from learning “asher adlil yikrav b’sari” (which I will bring near in my flesh), yes? There’s indeed a tremendous difference from learning things in the original source, with learning only likutei basar likutei (compilations after compilations).

One Needs Commentaries — But Also the Source

Certainly, I’m not saying, I’m not one of those people who say, learn the Zohar without the commentary of, I don’t know, of nothing, of the Arizal himself. Certainly, the commentaries are themselves the people who learned the Zohar well. Just as one can’t learn Chumash without the commentary of Rashi. I mean, one can, but then one begins first to be fresh with Rashi.

Rashi and the Midrash as Precedent

Because Rashi also learned Chumash, and the Midrash also learned Chumash, and he extracted how one can understand the Chumash, according to what he understood, l’halachah ul’maaseh (for law and practice) and with depth, and all sorts of ways that the Midrashim and all the commentators on the Torah do, from the first moment, from the seventy elders, from Moshe Rabbeinu himself who said commentaries on the Torah.

Moshe Rabbeinu’s Shiurim

Moshe Rabbeinu himself didn’t say what is the chiddush Torah (novel Torah insight) in the parsha that one reads, that one does krias haTorah (Torah reading). He said exactly a Torah shiur (lesson) how one should go home, and you know I have many proofs on this. It’s not now the subject. It’s taken other discussions.

One Needs Both — Commentaries and Source

But I want to bring out to us, certainly we need commentaries. But on the other hand, commentaries is a lecturer. Commentaries is like someone who learns only halachah l’maaseh, he learns only likutei, Busel likutei, he knows what to do. Also barely, because there’s indeed a baal mishnah (master of Mishnah) who confuses the world, and moreh melachim (teacher of kings) doesn’t concern the foolishness. And he also has a very baby, a very imaginary connection with this, very little ownership.

So, we need very strongly to learn the original books, and the Zohar, Sefer HaZohar.

Chapter 7: Sefer HaZohar as the Central Book

The Virtue of Sefer HaZohar

Had a conversation with other Jews weeks ago about this, what is the virtue of Sefer HaZohar? One can, there are investigations who wrote it and when, and how, and who makes this book and in Aramaic, is the rishon on the Torah sometimes hard to grasp, but the answer is the reason is, because there is such a cheder (room), there is such a school, there is such a beis hamidrash (study hall) that brings out and explains the Torah in the way of life, and in the way of desire, in the way of love, which one calls in the way of Chassidus in Chassidic language.

The Zohar as Canonical Book

And there are many people who want. The Rabbeinu Bachaye says Torah on sod (secret), and the Rishonim and Acharonim, all sorts of people say on sod, and Sefer HaZohar is like the central book. It takes together all these sod things that exist in sod, and this is like the canonical. The most essential book that one must truly be expert in, if one must from where do you learn sod haTorah book, so you know you learn from a mekubal, or not just from a mekubal?

Not Just Kabbalah — Also Chassidus and Mussar

I mean from a mekubal but from a Chassidus book and from a mussar book, like Reishis Chochmah and Yesod HaTorah Avodah. I mean other books that are built on bringing out the Jewish outlook, the Jewish life. Yes, say the educators say one needs life, this is the life, the life, the vitality, of what a Jew means, what Shabbos means, what Yom Tov means. All learned Zohar, all are experts in the book, so they are connected.

Not Enough with Parables and Applications

And we’ve made clear that it’s not enough to say that it’s a parable with an application, or that it’s the same “just as it is above so it is below,” just as by a person there are various midos (character traits), so too by the Almighty, or the deeper things that the mekubalim say, that a person conducts himself in the midos of chesed (kindness) he awakens by the Almighty the midos of chesed.

The Zohar as a Match That Ignites the Soul: Why Jews Need to Learn Kabbalah

The Zohar Opens Up, It Doesn’t Close

It always opens up. Posach Rabbi Shimon (Rabbi Shimon opened), yes. There are books that close – they say this is how it is, until here, and when, now, one can’t go further, this is what I have to say. No, the Zohar opens up. Even everything that it says is only a gate to enter further.

Just as, I said this parable, I want to repeat it: Just as the Arizal says in the commentary on the Zohar, or other good commentaries that exist on the Zohar, one sees that they say something that is seemingly different in the Zohar. People say, “Ah, I don’t understand a single word. He doesn’t just say over the translation, he says something else.”

But the Zohar wasn’t made just to say what stands there. The Zohar was made to ignite a fire in us.

The Parable of the Match and the Lag BaOmer Fire

Just as a good fire, a good match, isn’t a match that burns only itself. If there’s a match that burns only itself, will I also be called to light the entire Lag BaOmer fire? No, for that one lights a Lag BaOmer fire. This is the hint.

A good match is something that ignites another. It ignites the entire big fire. True, the entire fire must be prepared properly, there must be eitz ben orah (wood that catches fire), a person must have a soul that is like eitz ben orah that catches well. Okay, there are preparations, avodas hachanah (work of preparation), to be ready for this. But the Zohar was made a book that opens, it’s much more than a book that closes.

True, the Gemara is also like this, and all truly good books. But this is also the virtue of a central book, of a central book.

The Virtue of Chumash – A Book That Opens Up

Just as one can say Chumash. What is the virtue of Chumash? There are indeed Prophets, and many people have good Torah teachings. But the Chumash is a book that opens up, it’s not a book that closes. What does it mean that it’s closed? That you don’t understand a single word. It’s a book that opens up.

So about this one must open the Zohar and search there. When we are engaged in a sugya (topic), it’s always important to find how the Zohar frames the sugya, how the Zohar speaks about the subject, what the Zohar does with the thing.

Introduction to Learning the Zohar: Learning a Piece of Zohar in Parshas Behaaloscha

So now, until here a very important introduction, but now more devarim beteilim l’fi erech divrei Torah (idle words compared to words of Torah). Now let’s say a bit of divrei Torah. So I want to try to do a very simple thing. I want to do a… learn a piece of Zohar, plain learning, because one can’t be outside, and then try to expand according to my way, according to… according to… according to how we hold, to see what one can do here. It’s not exactly the subject of the piece, it’s a true piece, but it’s sometimes very complicated. And I didn’t come to explain just derashos (homilies) or Zohar, but to bring out a teaching.

The Verse: Behaaloscha Es HaNeiros

Like the verse, the Zohar deals in Parshas Behaaloscha with the parsha of hadlakas haneiros (lighting of the lamps), the parsha of “behaaloscha es haneiros el mul pnei hamenorah yairu shivas haneiros” [Behaaloscha 8:2 – “when you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate toward the face of the menorah”].

What the Zohar deals with, and certainly here there is also a discussion on pshat (plain meaning) too, that is whoever learns in the Torah sees that the parsha of hadlakas haneiros, behaaloscha es haneiros, hadlakas haneiros we call it.

The Menorah Appears Multiple Times in the Torah

The menorah appears multiple times in the Torah, I don’t remember how many, I made a list once in honor of Chanukah, seven eight times. Even the actual verses behaaloscha es haneiros, the Ramban struggles on the pshat, it appears three times almost the same verses:

– In Parshas Tetzaveh

– In Parshas Emor

– And here in Parshas Behaaloscha

It appears more or less the entire same thing, each time with a chiddush, of course, that it changed from the first from the second, but it appears very many times.

When Something Appears Many Times – There’s a Sod

And as we learned last week I think, that something that appears many times, certainly one can deal on pshat, why in this place must one add this, and what is the subject, what is the context, what is the chiddush, what is the halachah, etc.

But in this there is also a sod. Sod means to say very nicely and well, but why, why, he can put all these things in one series, he can everything, the Torah knew how to write, he can write everything at once. Why does he speak about this so much?

When he speaks about this so much this isn’t a subject of information, because he lacks information. Information one can say at once briefly. It means he loves to speak about it, he loves to speak about it.

The Torah Has Things It Loves to Speak About

The Chumash has things that it doesn’t love to speak about, and has things that it does love to speak about. Sometimes there’s something that seemingly it wouldn’t have needed to love to speak about, like I know the slanders about, and then one struggles why does one speak about this so much.

Example: Women and Damages – Few Verses, Many Laws

But generally speaking, there are things that one can see even in the mitzvos, yes, as we learn, there are entire sections of the Torah, entire sections, yes:

The entire Bava Kama, the entire Kiddushin, the entire Gittin, the entire tractate Gittin and Kiddushin and Kesubos are perhaps built on approximately one verse in Parshas Ki Seitzei. True, and a few more verses when one wants to include the rest of tractate Kesubos, and so the entire orders of Nashim and Nezikin that the people in yeshivos toil over and they learn their entire lives, there are a few verses in the entire Torah, let’s say twenty, thirty, I don’t know how many, perhaps one can say a few more verses, but there are almost no verses in the entire parsha that speak about this, and there’s also no parsha that repeats itself. Everything is stated once, sometimes it appears a bit in Mishpatim, well, that’s all.

Example: Mitzvos That the Torah Repeats Many Times

Then there are mitzvos, let’s not even speak of stories, certainly there are more stories about one thing, but then there are mitzvos that the Torah repeats many times. The Torah keeps talking about them, as we spoke on Erev Shavuos about the matters of shemittah and yovel, the Torah writes at length “v’safarta lecha sheva shabbosos shanim” [Vayikra 25:8 – “and you shall count for yourself seven sabbaths of years”], a whole lengthy section, the Torah loves to speak about this. If it loves to, then there is something deeper in this.

The Menorah – The Torah Loves to Speak About It

So too there is the mitzvah of the menorah, particularly the mitzvah of the making of the Mishkan, but the menorah specifically within the Mishkan, the menorah the Torah loves to speak about very much. That is, there are two vessels that the Torah speaks about very much: the Aron and the Menorah.

The Aron

The Aron, the Chumash speaks later in Beha’aloscha also about the two Arons, a very important parsha, and there are the inverted nuns [the upside-down nuns in Beha’aloscha 10:35-36], which allude to the Sha’ar HaNun [the Nun Gate], says Rabbi Aharon of Karlin, I won’t go into this now.

The Menorah

And another thing that the Torah very much loves to speak about is the menorah. Very much loves to speak about it. The Chumash loves to speak about the menorah.

What “Sod” Means in Kabbalistic Language

That which the Chumash loves to speak about, this is called in kabbalistic language that there is a sod in it. That is what sod means.

The sod, the subject matter of the Zohar which gives language and words for secrets, is a way to bring out, to have words for it, not to have to say “ah, it’s higher things, it’s a feeling, it’s not something that can be given with words.”

No, and the Torah made words for this. It spoke about it, it didn’t just say that there one must be silent. This is made to bring out with words what we’re talking about here.

And certainly when one has words, one can also do. People are after all people who live and are a ruach memalela [a speaking spirit], a person is a thing upon a thing. When one has words for it, he can do it better, and also he can better oppose obstacles.

Why Must a Jew Learn Zohar? Why Must a Jew Learn Kabbalah?

What do I mean to say? I mean to say this:

Every Jew Knows That the Menorah Is a Delightful Thing

Why must a Jew learn Zohar? Why must a Jew learn Kabbalah? The answer is this: because every Jew knows, every Jew knows that the menorah is a delightful thing. He learns Chumash, and the Chumash speaks about it six times, he already feels a pleasure in it. And the menorah is so beautiful, and all Jews, all generations, one of the holy things that has been in Klal Yisrael has been the menorah.

Yes, we know, they always made pictures of the menorah, and spoke about the menorah, and they even made the only vessel in the Beis HaMikdash that one makes supposedly a remembrance for. Somehow, whether with a menorah, whether with a candle, whether with a vessel, without a vessel, it’s the menorah.

One makes Chanukah by lighting a menorah, which as all the Rishonim already understood, and the Rambam explicitly, which is simple, it’s stated in the thing itself, that this is something we want to have. The menorah is something that Jews relate to, and they love it.

The Problem: The Satan U’meisis Ha’olam

Now there is a problem. What is the problem? One can say it this way, there are other ways to say it. I want to say it this way:

Sometimes comes a satan u’meisis ha’olam, come the satan u’meisis ha’olam, the nations of the world, and say, “mah hamitzvah hazos u’mah ta’am yesh bah?” [what is this mitzvah and what reason is there in it?]

Okay, the menorah is not such a thing that one must explain so much. One will see, ma’aseh hamenorah mikshah zahav [the making of the menorah from one piece of gold], “niskasheh Moshe b’ma’aseh hamenorah” [Moshe had difficulty with the making of the menorah]. It’s something so difficult. Yes, it’s difficult perhaps to make, okay, I hear, it’s a craft, very good. But it’s not exactly such a difficult thing to understand. But the love that you speak of here, the passion, yes, the “shetishalheives olah me’eileh” [that the flame should rise by itself], I hear it.

What Happened to the Litvaks – The Tragic Loss of Chiyus

And what happens? One can tell you, and this is unfortunately what happened to the Litvaks, I want to tell the story.

What happened that many people, modern people, lost the chiyus in Yiddishkeit? Why did it happen?

The Dialogue with the Gentile

The gentile comes and he says, “Okay, you have a menorah.”

As it says, as the Midrash says, “ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah” [Tehillim 89:16 – “happy is the people who know the teru’ah”], the Zohar brings this verse. “Ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah” – what?

Why does one already begin to prepare for Rosh Hashanah? He’s already speaking about Rosh Hashanah, it’s still Shavuos, and he’s already speaking about Rosh Hashanah. The Barditchover spoke about Shavuos. Okay.

But “ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah”, “al kamah korbanos yesh lahem, kamah shofaros yesh lahem, kamah chatzotzros yesh lahem” [on how many sacrifices they have, how many shofaros they have, how many trumpets they have]. We have beautiful things, they also have beautiful things.

Nu, why must I have specifically the beauty, the pleasure, exactly the recipe that your grandmother made must I have? There are many recipes in the world. Go to them, come to us.

The Jew’s Answer: “Kach Nitzta’vinu”

The Jews answered, the Jews answered, “Yes, one minute, very nice, it’s very nice, but I have a problem. The Ribbono Shel Olam gave me a Torah at Ma’amad Har Sinai, and I believe in it, and He commanded me that I must keep Shabbos. I cannot keep Sunday as you do.

I believe that Sunday is very nice, the Sunday service in church is beautiful, it’s very nice. I don’t see, it’s not a lie. It’s actually in the Torah, I may not say ‘lo sechanem’ [Devarim 7:2 – “you shall not show them favor”], I may not ascribe favor, but it doesn’t say that I must say that everything is false, true? Well, it’s beautiful.

What should I do that the holy Torah obligated me, gave me a halachah that I must keep Shabbos, the seventh day, not the first day. Good day, I cannot go with you in partnership.”

The Deficiency: A Body Without a Soul

Very good. Because of this the Jews remained as if with a body without a soul, yes? Very good, he keeps Shabbos, and the first thing that one tells him that it says, this is a clear halachah and one must do it, he does it. Okay, he is very strict about it. But in practice, the charm he has lost, true? The charm, he has no charm. He does Shabbos because he must.

The Answer That He Tells Himself

And when the gentile tells him, this is his answer, this is his answer, it’s not an answer that the gentile understands, but it’s an answer for himself, at least. This is his answer, he says to the yetzer hara, “kach nitzta’vinu, kach nitzta’vinu, kach amar HaKadosh Baruch Hu, we must do this, this is our obligation, this is our duty, and this much we must do.”

But it’s not an obligation to feel a pleasure in it, true? It’s not an obligation to hold that it’s actually more beautiful than the gentile church, or to make it so that it should be more beautiful.

“V’asu Li Mikdash” – But Without Chiyus

He must actually make, where is the Mikdash, “v’asu li mikdash v’shachanti besocham” [Shemos 25:8 – “and they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them”], he must make it “kulo omer kavod” [everything speaks honor], as it says in the verses, that even without prophetic visions, and that a beis midrash is a mikdash me’at, he must imagine what the Ribbono Shel Olam’s house looks like by the angels, and make it so that here should look like that, true? Halachah, a simple verse.

But if it’s not a halachah, it’s not a mitzvah, it’s not an obligation, it doesn’t say in Shulchan Aruch properly, yes, a few things don’t say in Shulchan Aruch, one can have a din in a hole in a basement somewhere, it doesn’t say in Shulchan Aruch, he doesn’t do it.

The Main Deficiency: His Inner World Is Gentile

It comes out that his inner world, his world of imagination, his world of feeling, is essentially gentile, is essentially, he essentially conceded to those who say “mah mitzvah zo u’mah ta’am yesh bah”, only that we have better crowns, we should not be guilty. Shofar.

“Ashrei Ha’am Yodei Seru’ah” – Not “Rachmana Pakid”

But about his shofar does it say “ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah Hashem b’or panecha yehaleikhun” [Tehillim 89:16 – “happy is the people who know the teru’ah, Hashem, in the light of Your face they shall walk”]? Does it say “ashrei ha’am mekayeim hamitzvos, Rachmana pakid” [happy is the people who fulfill the mitzvos, the Merciful One commanded]? Very good.

“Rachmana pakid” is very different from “ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah”.

One doesn’t say, after the tekios one conducts oneself, one says the verse “ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah”. One doesn’t say “Rachmana pakid”. Ah, truly there is a Rebbe, I don’t know what story he said this. Not this does one say.

This is the truth. This is the truth.

The Difference Between “Yodei Seru’ah” and Merely Fulfilling Mitzvos: The Necessity of Words for the Inner Dimension

Chapter 1: Shofar — “Yodei Seru’ah” Versus “Mekayeim HaMitzvos”

The Verse by Shofar and Its Meaning

Indeed we have better relatives, we should not fall, we should blow shofar without a barrier. But about his shofar does it say “ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah Hashem b’or panecha yehaleikhun” [ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah — happy is the people who know the teru’ah]. Does it say “ashrei ha’am mekayeim hamitzvos, Rachmana amtiku” [Rachmana amtiku — may the Merciful One sweeten]? No! Very good. Rachmana amtiku is very different from ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah.

We don’t say, by us after the tekios one conducts oneself that one should say the verse “ashrei ha’am yodei seru’ah”, we don’t say “Rachmana amtiku”. Yes, there is a Rebbe, I don’t know if it’s a story, he said this. Not this does one say in the siddur.

The Shofar’s Sound Fills the Entire World

True, the siddur speaks about — the shofar speaks about how the shofar is memalei [fills] the entire world with its sound, and this we will hear again, what is written in the siddur. It doesn’t say in the siddur, it’s a halachah one must blow shofar.

The Jew Without Words

But unfortunately, the Jew who doesn’t have another answer, he doesn’t understand this, he doesn’t see what’s written in the siddur. The movie studio supposedly makes better things, because we don’t have a Jewish movie studio. Why not? Because we don’t know that there is something alive, because we think that there is only a halachah.

The Inner World Is Gentile

Against this one must know, okay, his inner world, his world of feeling, his feeling, his heart, his soul, is all gentile, is all worldly, let’s say, he only fulfills the mitzvos.

Chapter 2: The Grandfather’s Pleasure in the Menorah

The Grandfather’s Understanding of Beauty

Ah, you’ll ask him, your grandfather certainly had a pleasure, he held that the menorah is truly the most beautiful thing in the world. He didn’t just say, he didn’t just say that he was primitive, he held this way.

The Imagination of Beis HaMikdash in Exile

He thought tremendously that we are in exile and in filth, but he hoped, he imagined how the menorah will look in the Beis HaMikdash, how the Kohen Gadol lights it, and it’s beautiful, there isn’t, not one church has such a beautiful thing.

“Nehi Dela Chazi Mazlei Chazi”

So he saw tremendously, he went, went to meet the kings of the nations, and if he met and he saw how beautiful it is, perhaps one may not, I don’t know, if he saw how beautiful it is how the gentiles in their pomp turn and make beautiful ceremonies and things, he said, “Ah, I know what I’m going, he says, he will remember, he will contemplate.”

If he merits the coming of Moshiach, if he merits to go to a true Rebbe, to the tzaddikim who were engaged in this, let’s say he spoke once a shiur, if he merits this he saw, “nehi dela chazi mazlei chazi” [if he didn’t see, he saw from his mazal].

Chapter 3: Akdamus — The External Was Also Better

The Learning of Akdamus on Shavuos

And what does one speak about from there? Yes, one had to, they learned Akdamus on Shavuos, because one says we’re going to have a Leviathan with a Shor HaBar [the wild ox], you have some fire, snow, a ride for everyone not.

The Inner and the Outer

One doesn’t even speak about the “mishaleil b’veisecha od yehaleluchah selah” [he who praises himself in your house will yet praise you], this is certainly, this is already the inner things, even the external was better, it was more delightful, the children loved it more, we will love it more, perhaps today we are in exile, we hope, we imagine things in our imagination how it looks.

One Can Be an Orthodox Jew Without This

But all these things are not halachos, one can be a completely Orthodox Jew without ever having an imagination about the Shor HaBar and Leviathan, one doesn’t have to say Akdamus, one can barely be a Jew, but one can be an Orthodox Jew one can be.

Chapter 4: Why the Orthodox Jew Is “Just So” — Because He Has No Words

“Ne’elamti K’rachel Lifnei Gozzeha”

And why is the Orthodox Jew just so? Because he has no kesuvah [written words], because he has no words. Because he is “ne’elamti k’rachel lifnei gozzeha ne’elamah” [I was silent like a sheep before her shearers, silent], like a rachel — rachel alludes to the Shechinah, the Knesses Yisrael — who is being shorn, and she cannot even make a noise, who is muzzled, she cannot cry, she has, I have no words.

People Live Through Words

And if I have no words, since people are such a sort of creatures that in practice live through words. Except for a few madmen who they can say, I can’t, I have no words, and we believe in this we dance further so.

The Words That We Have Are Only Nigleh

Most people, and certainly the public, the world, if one doesn’t have an answer, is that the words that we have are only with nigleh [the revealed Torah], these are the words that most people have, the words that exist are nigleh, these are the words, the halachah okay, baruch Hashem, they have this, very good. But on the inner dimension one has no words, because the inner dimension was something that one felt, it’s not such a thing.

Chapter 5: The Beis HaMikdash — Not Only Halachos, But a Pleasure

Almost No Jew Went Into the Beis HaMikdash

Almost no Jew came into the Beis HaMikdash, almost no Jew, what does it mean when the Beis HaMikdash existed, didn’t go out saying, baruch Hashem today fulfilled punctually all the halachos, all the hiddurim. There was a korban olah today, a korban tamid, the musaf of Shabbos with two sheep with all the hiddurim. It was such that not one Jew was in the Beis HaMikdash.

When the Beis HaMikdash Is Truly Destroyed

It could have been that there was a period when that Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) was like that, but now it’s truly beis charuv v’cherpas [a destruction and a disgrace], now there was no point to the Beis HaMikdash, but when it did exist, there was something like a taste, something like a romance, something like a celebration that couldn’t be expressed, there were no words.

Chapter 6: The Levites — Their Role Was to Give Words

The Jobs of the Levites

The Levites, they have the jobs among the Levites. One learns this week about the Levites, what are the jobs among the jobs, and the jobs don’t stand explicitly in the Torah, that they sing. It only appears later in Divrei HaYamim (Chronicles).

Breaking Forth Ideas with Words

But the Levite’s job was to break forth ideas with words, for this there is Tehillah (praise) and for this melody, but we don’t even have Tehillah, we don’t know which melody must be sung, and whatever part one finds to say a melody, and one says Tehillah and one says Tehillah and one says Tehillah and one says Tehillah and one says Tehillah.

The Solution of the Holy Zohar

Perhaps it’s not the complete solution, because the Chassidic sefarim (books) come and say that this can also be explained differently. But it’s very important to hear what is the solution of the Zohar HaKadosh, and in general the entire Chassidic world, that the Zohar’s Chassidus and with the Mekubalim (Kabbalists) and Acharonim (later authorities), they are all like this, everything that they do.

Chapter 7: The Zohar Comes to Give Words

“Come My Brother, I Want to Give You Words”

Because it arises, the Zohar comes and he says “Kum Rebbi Levi” (Rise Rabbi Levi), come my brother, I want to give you words, so you can answer them.

“Mah E’eseh, V’Ahavas Talmud Torah Gazar Alai”

We must say, yes, we have an obligation, we Jews have a decree, a verse, “Mah e’eseh” [what should I do]. A gentile girl is very beautiful, what should I do? “Mah e’eseh, v’ahavas Talmud Torah gazar alai” [what should I do, and love of Torah has been decreed upon me]? “Lo es lishchot” [not for you to slaughter], by me it’s not allowed! It should be feared that we become outside of Yiddishkeit (Judaism). “Mah e’eseh,” so says a simple Jew, and this is a thing.

A Gentile Wedding and a Gentile Life

But in practice, he truly cannot marry a gentile girl, but nevertheless have a gentile wedding. In a gentile wedding life, in a gentile life, and his Shabbos should look like what? Yes, with all the halachos (laws), but gentile.

The Zohar Gives Words

Can you say a sentence? No, no, let’s hear out my child. I want to tell you, that a Jew, a Jewish body, is such a sort of thing that’s called a merkavah l’Shechinah [a chariot for the Divine Presence].

Chapter 8: The Foundation — A Jewish Body is a Merkavah L’Shechinah

I’ll Give You a Few Words

I’ll give you a few words. A Jewish boy, a Jewish male, is a merkavah for the level that’s called Yesod (Foundation). Literally the private Yesod, but in general. The male is a chariot for a thing that’s called Yesod, which is called Tzaddik (righteous one). There are many pesukim (verses) about this. “Tzaddik yesod olam” [the righteous one is the foundation of the world].

Bo’el Bas El Nechar — The Nimshal, Not the Mashal

And when a Jewish boy puts his tzaddik into a gentile girl, it’s like a “tzelem b’heichal” [an idol in the Temple]. The entire world revolves around this thing, and we have made clear that it’s not enough to say that it’s a mashal (parable) with a nimshal (application), or that it’s the same “k’mo she’hu l’ma’alah kein hu l’matah” [as it is above so it is below], just as by a person there are different midos (character traits), so too by the Almighty.

The Deeper Things That the Mekubalim Say

Or the deeper things that the Mekubalim say, that a person who conducts himself with the midos of chesed (kindness) awakens by the Almighty the midos of chesed, the “yera’eh kol zechurcha es pnei ha’Adon Hashem” [every male shall see the face of the Master, Hashem].

The Well-Known Explanation in the Zohar

This is the well-known explanation in the Zohar, that the male, which is a sign and a remembrance and a merkavah for the level that’s called the male above, the Yesod HaElyon (Upper Foundation), which is the ma’ayan hanovei’a (the flowing spring) that brings down all the shefa (abundance) to the world, must enter into the bechinas nukva d’kedushah (the aspect of the holy female), into the bechinas HaShechinah (the aspect of the Divine Presence).

There It’s Called the Mikdash

There it’s called the Mikdash (Sanctuary), yes? He enters into the Mikdash, he enters into the Mishkan (Tabernacle). And when the Jews carry this, as we learned this week, how beautiful it is how the Jews carry the Mishkan, they carry the Shechinah, literally. This is the explanation.

A Ba’al — Marriage with the Daughter of a Gentile God

And you understand that certainly this is called a ba’al (master/husband), that a Jew lets go, like a Jew who lets go and he is “bo’el bas el nechar” [cohabits with the daughter of a foreign god], not that he marries a gentile girl, he marries the daughter of a gentile god. Do you grasp? A Jewish girl is a daughter of the Jewish God, yes? “Banim atem l’Hashem Elokeichem” [you are children to Hashem your God]. Not just a daughter, it’s an aspect, He loves us very much.

Let Me Give You Certain Words

Let me give you certain words, perhaps the words are a mashal, perhaps they are too gashmiyus (physical/coarse) when we think of them, I’ll give you more Kabbalah words, it’s called zu”n [Ze’ir Anpin v’Nukva – the Small Face and Female].

Every Jewish Boy and Girl is a Merkavah

And the words show that every Jewish boy is a merkavah for the Ze’ir Anpin, for the midas HaTiferes (the attribute of Beauty). Every Jewish girl is a merkavah for the midas HaMalchus (the attribute of Kingship), for the Shechinah. And when they come together there becomes a “yichud Kudsha Brich Hu u’Shechintei” [a unification of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Shechinah], and this is what Jews do when they have a wedding.

When a Jew Mixes with a Gentile

Gentiles have their own levels, I know, seventy ministers and so forth. But when a Jew mixes with a gentile, he is “bo’el bas el nechar,” it’s “k’veyachol” [so to speak], think about it, he brings the level of the Yesod d’kedushah (Foundation of holiness), goes into an avodah zarah (idolatry). Like a person takes the Beis HaMikdash, the Mikdash, the holiest of the holy, and he puts it into an idol house, he takes the Aron HaKodesh (Holy Ark) and puts it into an avodah zarah.

This is the Nimshal — The Beis HaMikdash is the Mashal

And not this is a mashal, this is the nimshal. You think about the Beis HaMikdash? The Beis HaMikdash itself was only a mashal for the entire matter, for the entire Kabbalah that I’m giving you. And this is the vitality.

Chapter 9: Another Thousand Meshalim — The Sea, the Rivers, and the Upper Abundance

This is Only One Mashal

This is only one mashal, yes? We spoke now about the mashal of “k’ma’asei ne’urayich” [like the deeds of your youth], about a mashal of ahavas ish v’ishto (the love between a man and his wife).

“Kol HaNechalim Holchim El HaYam”

I can give you another thousand meshalim about the sea that becomes “kol hanechalim holchim el hayam v’hayam einenu malei” [all the rivers go to the sea and the sea is not full], all the rivers, the upper abundance goes like rivers that fall from above, the rain, yes, from l’ma’alah l’ma’alah (from above above), from the “tal d’nachis me’Atika Kadisha” [the dew that descends from Atika Kadisha], and it goes in until it comes into the sea which is mekabel (receives), through which the world becomes refreshed again.

“Yishku Kol Chayso Sadai”

“Yishku kol chayso sadai yishberu pera’im tzema’am” [all the beasts of the field will drink, the wild donkeys will quench their thirst], which are very beautiful pesukim from Barchi Nafshi [Barchi Nafshi — a chapter of Tehillim] that the Zohar loves very much.

This is the Explanation

And so, this is the explanation, a Jew does a mitzvah, this is the explanation, a Jew does teshuvah (repentance), until then she was “shruyah b’dava” [sitting in sadness], and the servant takes the mayim (water), the mayim ha’elyonim (the upper waters), and he sends it into her “sohar” [her secret], and from that sohar becomes water, true? This is what one does.

Chapter 10: The Zohar’s Role — Making Words and Meshalim Clear

“I’ll Give You More Words”

Ah, now what does the Zohar do? He says “I’ll give you more words, more meshalim.” And the Kabbalah, the entire Kabbalah is engaged in making clear and speaking out the meshalim. One must be able to speak about this, understand clearly.

This is Not Just a Feeling

This is to say that there is a feeling, a Jew has a taste in the Menorah, it’s not just a feeling, it’s not even just a remez (hint).

“El Mul Pnei HaMenorah Ya’iru Shivas HaNeiros”

There is in the Menorah there is “el mul pnei hamenorah ya’iru shivas haneiros” [toward the face of the Menorah the seven lights shall shine]. All seven lights, all seven sefiros (divine emanations), all seven levels, must connect, must shine toward the pnei hamenorah, which is the Binah (Understanding) above or the Malchus (Kingship) below. Look in the Zohar, see exactly what it means.

The Ner Ma’aravi

And the ner ma’aravi (western light), which is the ma’arav (west), means Shechinah b’ma’arav (Shechinah in the west). Everything revolves around there.

Chapter 11: The Gentile’s Question — “Mah Dodech MiDod”

These are the Words

These are the words. Now you ask, the gentile comes here, now the gentile comes and he asks you, “Rebbi Yishmael ben Elisha, mah nishtanah rechimo d’Abba… mah nishtanah rechimo d’Abba mikol rechimon?” [what is different about your Beloved from all beloveds?] Yes, what do you have so beautiful? What is your beloved more than our beloveds? We have more beautiful buildings meanwhile.

“Nicha Lach D’Eima Lach Chad Milsa?”

They say, “Nicha lach d’eima lach chad milsa?” [Would you like me to tell you one thing?] Can you explain to me? Don’t you understand that we have here the Kudsha Brich Hu u’Shechintei (the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Shechinah)? Can’t you understand that here there is “el mul pnei hamenorah ya’iru shivas haneiros”? I have words for you.

He Teaches His Children

And the words he teaches to his children, and he makes it “musbar u’mevo’ar” [explained and clarified].

Chapter 12: Rebbi Hamnuna Saba — The Three Shabbos Meals

It’s Not Just That We’re Hungry

He tells his children about the Shabbos meal, it’s not just that we’re hungry and we sat at a party.

“Ha Se’udsa Da Hi Se’udsa D’Chakal Tapuchin Kadishin”

There is such a level that says that a Jew comes, Rebbi Hamnuna Saba comes into his Leil Shabbos (Friday night), and he says “Ha se’udsa da hi se’udsa d’chakal tapuchin kadishin” [This meal is the meal of the field of holy apples]. The meal is a meal of the holy garden, the holy pardes (orchard) of delicious apples.

What Does This Mean?

And he asks the children, what does this mean? And no one can understand it all, but it means that the Shechinah has different kinyanim (possessions), different hislabshuyos (garments) in the world. One of them is literally when one goes into an orchard with delicious apples or some other peiros ha’ilan (tree fruits), and what tasted delicious, it’s beautiful, this is the thing that is Leil Shabbos.

The Three Levels

And Shabbos morning he says, here is “se’udsa d’Atika Kadisha” [the meal of Atika Kadisha], and in the afternoon he says, here is “se’udsa d’Ze’ir Anpin” [the meal of Ze’ir Anpin]. These are the three levels, not just that one eats three meals.

Kedushah According to the Zohar: Introduction to the Explanation of the Matter of Holiness

PaRDeS: Four Levels of Understanding

The Simple PaRDeS — A Garden with Fruits

There are different languages in the world. One of them is literally: when one goes into a pardes [orchard], one has delicious apples, or some other fruits, hot grapes — it’s delicious, it’s beautiful. This is the thing that exists on Shabbos.

The Three Meals — Three Levels

And the Shabbos meal, he says, here there is the Atika Kadisha [the Ancient Holy One, highest level in Godliness]. And Friday he says, here there is the Ze’ir Anpin [the Small Face, middle level in Godliness]. These are the three levels.

It’s not just that one eats three meals. Yes, one can say it on simple pshat (literal meaning), but afterward he says it on a halachah, an obligation that one must eat three meals — well well, an obligation. But what is the meal? What is the thing that one eats? What is the obligation? What is the inner dimension? What does a meal mean?

One thinks that a meal is eating in a restaurant on Wednesday, and Shabbos is an obligation that you must eat a meal — eat Reb Shlomo’le’s tzimmes. No! Shabbos is a different sort of meal.

The Necessity of a Language for the Inner Dimension of Torah

Words for the Feeling

He has something, words for this, and one can say this. He says this, or he says this and one doesn’t understand it — one doesn’t go into the depth of the words that he says.

He says: “Okay, this is quite good for simple Jews who get excited and they say the Zohar, ‘Tana d’hilula’ [the Tana of the celebration, Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai], I saw the Matronisa [the Queen, Knesses Yisrael], come, ‘vayavo’u bnei Elokim’ [and the sons of God came] — yes, very good. But what does the Matronisa mean?”

He says: “No, it’s some aspect, I don’t know, the Rebbe knows what this means.”

No, no! Let’s understand clearly what he means. It means — what is there? One has philosophy letters from the Saint Lawrence, one of the explanations, okay, that one understands what he means. It’s not just words — one understands clearly and openly and explicitly what one is talking about here.

One has a language for the meaning, yes, for the inner dimension of Torah, for the obligation, for the have, for the things that one doesn’t like to talk about.

The Error of “I Don’t Know”

One should say: “Okay, I know this, I don’t like to talk about it, I don’t know. The Chassidic Jews have some taste in it, some feeling.”

It’s not a feeling! Certainly it’s a feeling — it’s a feeling. But because it’s so strong, because the secret of the entire world lies in this, because of this there’s a feeling. But the feeling is not a feeling alone — it’s clothed in very good words for the feeling.

The Advantage of Having Words — One Doesn’t Get Lost

The Mashal of Yodei’a Teru’ah

Now, that there are words for the feeling — when he has, this is one of the advantages, only one of them — one of the advantages that one has words for the feeling, one doesn’t get lost. One doesn’t get lost.

It’s one thing: you have a more beautiful one, you perhaps have a better teru’ah (shofar blast), you perhaps have a better trumpeter. But you’re not a yodei’a teru’ah (one who understands the teru’ah). You don’t know the kavanos (intentions) of the shofar. You don’t know how one brings out, how one is me’orer (awakens) back the mochin (intellectual powers) of the Z”A (Ze’ir Anpin), and it goes up to the Ima (the Mother, Binah), and it becomes completely new mochin with new gevuros (severities) with new chasadim (kindnesses).

The Possibility of Learning

And one knows this, and one understands this, and one gets a hasagah (comprehension), it’s the language of shofar, and knowing it. One can indeed explain it, one can indeed say it in words, one can indeed say it. Do you understand now the chiluk (difference)?

Theoretically you can also come learn it. Someone comes, one learns, one learns out, one learns out Sha’ar HaKavanos [Gate of Intentions, book of the Arizal]. I need to know the words — it’s not just.

The Proof That It’s True

The Question and the Answer

Student: Someone says: what is the proof that it’s true?

Maggid Shiur: The proof that it’s true is… one doesn’t need a proof! That this is true — this is the pshat in Sha’ar HaKavanos.

Here he says: I have a different kavanah — no problem, perhaps a different way, not that there’s only one way.

The Proof from the Menorah

The proof that it’s true — I’m speaking about the kavanos of prayer from the pshat of the Menorah — the proof that it’s true is that the Jews made a Menorah. They didn’t make a Menorah because it’s a halachah — the halachah is about this.

They didn’t make a Menorah because it’s a halachah. The Jews loved the Menorah. The Jews love — you love to eat the Sunday barbecue, even your barbecue tastes better. Why do you love it? Because each one loves something different. So, they loved this.

The Difference Between Three Meals and a Barbecue

The Question

Student: What is the difference between the taste of the three meals and the taste of a barbecue? This is a different sort of taste. What is the difference?

Teshuva – Revelation of the Mitzvah

Maggid Shiur: Ah… Shalosh Seudos, there is a revelation of the mitzvah there, essentially, and it’s a chance to be…

…and be there together with it: “Avraham yagel, Yitzchak yeranein, Yaakov uvanav yanuchu vo, menuchas ahavah unedavah, menuchas emes ve’emunah, menuchas shalom veshalvah vehashket vavetach, menuchah sheleimah she’atah rotzeh bah [Abraham will rejoice, Isaac will sing, Jacob and his children will rest in it, a rest of love and generosity, a rest of truth and faith, a rest of peace and tranquility and quiet and security, a complete rest that You desire in it: Abraham will rejoice, Isaac will sing, Jacob and his children will rest in it, a rest of love and generosity, a rest of truth and faith, a rest of peace and tranquility and security, a complete rest that You desire in it].”

Ah, is your pleasure a piece of chicken, is your pleasure a piece of steak? Not that! Is that what you’ve been waiting for? Not just said, not just being. There is a mitzvah there – what am I missing besides this?

The Virtue of Having Words

This is one great virtue why Jews who are a bit mekushar [connected], they have a bit of yiras shamayim [fear of Heaven], the ahavah [love] – which is the Torah, love, which are the mitzvos [commandments] – they, those who have words for it, they understand it already now. It’s already the next level.

Now, one must understand this, one must be able to speak about it. Especially when one already has three forty minutes, one must stop here. There’s already enough for Shabbos – but this is kedushah. This is still on one, on one as we have spoken.

The Matter of Kedushah – The Main Topic

The Connection with the Rambam Shiur

And in the Rambam [Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon] shiur, one is engaged in the topic of… what is this? Prishus [abstinence], okay, yes. Zehirus [caution], prishus – there is a topic.

The word, according to some, the word for this is “naval birshus haTorah [a scoundrel with the permission of the Torah]” is kedushah. It says “kedoshim tihyu [you shall be holy].”

The Pshat Level

Now, whoever learns according to pshat, and more and more shiurim that one will learn in the derech hapshat [the way of pshat], he will understand what we’re talking about here: conducting oneself properly with ta’avos [desires], which things are ta’avah and which things are not. This is according to pshat… simple level.

The Problem – Something Is Missing

And the reason why I bring it to a practical level, the sod level [secret], is because something is missing from that level. Something is missing – I’m not saying what’s missing, but everyone can see. Something is missing, and there is a lot… this is an avlah [injustice].

The Word According to Kabbalah

The word, according to Kabbalah, simply addresses this. The Ramban [Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman] says: kedushah – the thing is called kedushah.

Now, whoever will learn according to pshat, and the more shiurim that one has learned in the derech hapshat, he will understand why here there is a matter of conducting oneself properly with hana’os [pleasures], and which things are an oneg [pleasure] and which things are not. This is the according to pshat, the simple level.

Why We Bring the Sod Level

And the reason why one brings the PaRDeS level, the sod level, is because in a certain sense that level is missing. Something is missing – I’ll say later what’s missing, I won’t be able to say it. Something is missing, and there is a much better level.

Now, I will try to say this – this is the word that I’m going to finish with.

What Is Kedushah Itself?

The Ramban’s Explanation

Whoever will learn the pshat of the Zohar on kedushah – kedushah, as the Ramban interprets beshem Chazal [in the name of our Sages of blessed memory]: “Kedoshim tihyu” – “Perushim tihyu [you shall be separated].” You must be holy, means perushim. Perushim means exactly the middah [character trait] that we spoke about, which is called zehirus. That’s what you must be.

The Problem – Nobody Knows

Now, what is this kedushah? Does anyone know what this kedushah is? Nobody knows. Can you explain what kedushah is? Yes, no. I know what not to do. But kedushah is not something that you don’t do.

We’re talking about middos [character traits], we’re talking about pnimiyus [inwardness], we’re talking about a hargashah balev [a feeling in the heart], we’re talking about what one does.

The Error of Negative Definition

Kedushah doesn’t mean “don’t look at videos of kayotza bazeh [such things].” That’s not kedushah.

Now, you say: one does a pe’ulah [action] that comes from kedushah, it’s something that brings kedushah – “vehiskadishtem viheyisem kedoshim [and you shall sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy].” If you won’t look at bad things, you won’t read bad things, you won’t think – this will bring kedushah.

But what is kedushah gufa [itself]? Ah, that’s the problem.

Reishis Chochmah – The Source for Kedushah

The Sefer and Its Role

The Ramak [Rabbi Moshe Cordovero] says this: There is a holy sefer called Reishis Chochmah [Beginning of Wisdom]. It’s sad that the olam [world], as everyone knows, in Tzemach Lekutim [sefer by Rabbi Tzemach] it says that one should learn in Reishis Chochmah Sha’ar HaKedushah Perek 17 lifnei hazivug [Gate of Holiness Chapter 17 before marital union]. It speaks there about the matter of kedushas hazivug [the holiness of marital union] very well.

Not Only Sha’ar HaKedushah

But Reishis Chochmah is not only the entire Sha’ar HaKedushah, and the truth is that Reishis Chochmah is – I’ll be mekatzar [brief], I’ll speak about this in the review in the next shiur – but it’s an entire sefer that is to present mussar how mussar looks according to the Zohar. That’s the job of Reishis Chochmah, and with this it becomes Chassidus.

Reishis Chochmah and Chassidus

I can tell you that Chassidus is a commentary on Reishis Chochmah, and everyone knows that the first Chassidic sefarim – they all quoted it, and they all learned it.

As Chabad [Chochmah Binah Da’as, a Chassidic stream] we once said: that whoever doesn’t know Reishis Chochmah shouldn’t learn Tanya [foundational sefer of Chabad], because Tanya came and we made clear that it’s not enough to say that it’s a mashal [parable] with a nimshal [application], or that it’s the same “kemo shehu lema’alah kein hu lematah [as it is above so it is below]” – just as by a person there are different middos, so too by the Almighty, or the deeper things that the mekubalim [Kabbalah learners] say: that when a person conducts himself in the middos hachesed [attributes of kindness] he awakens by the Almighty the middos hachesed.

A Chassidic Shabbos – The Key to Kedushah

The Parable of a Great Rebbe

And from this I say: when there was a great Chassidic rebbe, from him one could understand what a Chassidic Shabbos is. He conducted a rebbe’s Shabbos.

He conducted one year when he felt that “nafshi lo nichnesah leveisom [my soul did not enter their house],” as the Ramban said. He said: “I don’t know exactly what this is, but I’m following someone who knew, I’m following someone who knew, I’m following someone who knew.”

The Problem – No Clear Picture

Nobody had a certain picture of what kedushah actually is. That’s the job of a Chassidic Shabbos, of a rebbe who conducts Shabbos. Now you see what kedushah actually is.

The Practical Difference

Now there is the following observation: You understand that certain ma’asim [actions] that one does are pogem [damaging] to the kedushah. Ah, I can understand that this is not so hard to understand.

You know what? One can explain precisely the halachos [laws], the gedarim [boundaries], the derech hamitzvah [the way of the mitzvah], and so on. What is so hard to understand? You can explain it better.

But it begins from what we’re talking about – we don’t know at all what we’re talking about.

Conclusion – Introduction to a Series

So this is our hakdamah [introduction] to the matter of kedushah, levirur inyan hakedushah al pi haZohar veha’Ari HaKadosh [to clarify the matter of kedushah according to the Zohar and the holy Arizal], which is melukot [collected] from the Zohar.

And every week we will learn Zohar about this, and it will come out very clearly in Parshas Terumah [the Torah portion of Terumah], Tetzaveh [the Torah portion of Tetzaveh], and the parshah.

And be’ezras Hashem [with God’s help], we will continue on this. And we will have a joyous Shabbos and a holy Shabbos.