Inwardness and Outwardness on Seder Night: The Work of Intellect and Action

Introduction: The Seder and the Inner Work

Dear brothers, Erev Pesach after midday, we shouldn’t make the Seder together. The Seder must be made by each person with his family. And we could speak a bit beforehand together about sodot haTorah [sodot haTorah: the inner secrets of the Torah], what the sages would have discussed when they were the entire night in Bnei Brak [Bnei Brak: the place where Rabbi Akiva and other sages spoke the entire Pesach night, as told in the Haggadah] until the students came.

That is to say, the students don’t understand everything that the rabbis speak. The moment the students came, they returned to the normal Seder. Okay, the time for Kriat Shema of Shacharit arrived [zman Kriat Shema shel Shacharit: the time for saying Kriat Shema of the morning prayers], no problem, they go to the beit midrash [beit midrash: house of study], they go to pray Shacharit [Shacharit: the morning prayer]. What did the rabbi do the entire night?

The Two Levels: What the Rabbi Does and What the Students See

If the student had been there, he would have said: The time for matzah arrived [higia zman matzah: the time for matzah has come], the time for maror arrived [maror: bitter herbs], the time for Shulchan Orech arrived [Shulchan Orech: the part of the Seder when one eats the meal]. Then the little children would have said “Kadesh” when the father comes home, “Urchatz” [Kadesh Urchatz: the first two parts of the Seder — Kiddush and washing hands], the father-in-law would have said, the mother-in-law would have said, what they know, what was done.

That is to say, they sat the entire night “v’hayu mesaprim b’yetziat Mitzrayim kol oto halailah” [v’hayu mesaprim b’yetziat Mitzrayim kol oto halailah: and they told of the Exodus from Egypt the entire night]. In the morning the students came in, they made it okay, no problem, so it says in the language, “ad sheba’u talmideihem” [ad sheba’u talmideihem: until their students came], the time for Kriat Shema of Shacharit arrived, okay they cleared the table, finished already, well they closed the books, almost like the story that children tell on Chanukah [Chanukah: the holiday of Chanukah], when the Greeks come they say “ah we’re playing dreidel” [dreidel: the spinning top that one plays with on Chanukah], no problem, they go to the seder hayom [seder hayom: the normal daily order], the time for Kriat Shema of Shacharit arrived in the beit midrash, as if the time for Kriat Shema of Shacharit arrived, no problem, but what the rabbi does is something else.

The Aspect of “The Time for Kriat Shema of Shacharit Arrived” in Each Person

So, in each person, each one of our friends, there is the aspect [bechinat: aspect, level] of “the time for Kriat Shema of Shacharit arrived,” what the rabbi says, what the children say, what the wife says, what the father-in-law says, what the father says, what he says himself because he is a father to his children. And besides this, there is what is called by the Rashash [Rashash: Rabbi Shalom Sharabi, Sephardic kabbalist] “pnimiyut ha’olamot” [pnimiyut ha’olamot: the inner, secret aspects of the worlds], a very great principle, a very great halachic and practical [l’ma’aseh: practical] innovation [chiddush: new Torah idea] that the Rashash was mechadesh regarding kavvanot [kavvanot: mystical meditations and intentions] of Leil Pesach [Leil Pesach: the night of Pesach].

The Foundation of the Rashash: Inwardness and Outwardness of the Worlds

The Main Mitzvot of Leil HaSeder

So, certainly everyone knows that the main mitzvah d’oraita [mitzvah d’oraita: a commandment from the Torah itself] of Leil HaSeder is all these mitzvot:

– Of the Haggadah [Haggadah: the text that one reads at the Seder]

– Of the matzah [matzah: unleavened bread]

– Of the maror

– Of the kosot [kosot: the four cups of wine]

– Of sippur yetziat Mitzrayim [sippur yetziat Mitzrayim: telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt]

Part d’oraita, part d’rabbanan [d’rabbanan: from the rabbis, rabbinic ordinances], this is the mitzvah, the mitzvot of the day, korban Pesach [korban Pesach: the Pesach offering] when it existed, when it will be. And after this there is tefillah [tefillah: prayer]. Tefillah is apparently [l’chora: at first glance] only d’rabbanan. One says Hallel [Hallel: the Hallel chapters from Psalms] even during prayer already, whoever conducts himself, it’s only a matter of d’rabbanan, it’s only a custom [minhag: a custom, practice], it’s not the main mitzvah, the main thing, the main thing that the children are waiting for.

No one is waiting for Maariv [Maariv: the evening prayer] of Pesach at night. I haven’t heard anyone say he can’t wait for Maariv of Pesach at night. Everyone says he can’t wait for the Seder. One doesn’t sleep Erev Pesach so that one should have strength for Maariv. One sleeps so that one should have strength for the Haggadah, for Mah Nishtanah [Mah Nishtanah: the Four Questions], for Avadim Hayinu [Avadim Hayinu: the beginning of the Haggadah], for Hallel, for Nishmat [Nishmat: Nishmat Kol Chai], the second Hallel, the Hallel that one says at the table, which is at the Seder.

The Innovation of the Rashash: Inwardness and Outwardness

But, says the holy Rashash a davar peleh [davar peleh: a wondrous thing], built on the Arizal’s [Arizal: Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the great kabbalist] language certainly, it’s correct, it’s supported [samuch: supported], it’s not an innovation that is a mere drash [drash b’alma: a mere homiletical interpretation], it’s supported as the seder hadevarim [seder hadevarim: the order of things] stands. He says that one must understand that there is a klal gadol baTorah [klal gadol baTorah: a great principle in Torah]:

On every matter there is inwardness and outwardness [chitzoniyut: externality].

That is to say, pnimiyut ha’olamot and chitzoniyut ha’olamot [chitzoniyut ha’olamot: the external aspects of the worlds]. Often one calls the inwardness neshamot [neshamot: souls], the outwardness one calls malachim [malachim: angels]. Instead of saying inwardness and outwardness, one says neshamot and malachim. This is a concept, I will explain this concept.

Mitzvot of Thought and Speech = Pnimiyut Ha’olamot (Neshamot)

He says thus: The level [madreigah: level, stage] of neshamot, the level of inwardness, the principle is that mitzvot sheb’machshavah [mitzvot sheb’machshavah: mitzvot that one does with thought], mitzvot sheb’dibbur [mitzvot sheb’dibbur: mitzvot that one does with speech], they are engaged [osek: occupied with] in pnimiyut ha’olamot. This is the level of neshamot, or of mochin [mochin: intellect, intelligence], this is the intellect of the neshamot.

Mitzvot of Action = Chitzoniyut Ha’olamot (Malachim)

The mitzvot sheb’ma’aseh [mitzvot sheb’ma’aseh: mitzvot that one does with actions], all practical mitzvot, have to do with chitzoniyut ha’olamot, with the malachim.

The Rambam’s Path of Intellect vs. the Ramban’s Path of Angels

It’s simple in other words, as they say in other ways:

If one wants to see the Almighty b’derech sechel [b’derech sechel: through the path of intellect], as the Rambam [Rambam: Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides] wanted that one should see only b’derech sechel, b’derech p’nimi [b’derech p’nimi: through an inner path], then he should pray, then he should learn. Torah, tefillah, these are mitzvot of pnimiyut ha’olamot, Olam HaAtzilut [Olam HaAtzilut: the World of Atzilut, the highest of the four worlds in Kabbalah], that is to say b’ofan klali [b’ofan klali: in general] the inwardness of all worlds, or the level of neshamot, the level of mochin. This is the level of Torah and tefillah.

One who wants to see malachim like the approach [shitah: opinion, approach] of the Ramban [Ramban: Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, Nachmanides], he says that actual malachim, yes, “vayishlach Yaakov malachim” [vayishlach Yaakov malachim: and Yaakov sent malachim — Bereishit 32:4] — Yaakov, one can see actual malachim. Or when a malach goes up and down [oleh v’yored: goes up and down] it’s not just a parable [mashal: a parable] about aliyot hasechel [aliyot hasechel: the ascents of the intellect] as the Rambam said that it’s only a mar’eh hanevu’ah [mar’eh hanevu’ah: a prophetic vision], it’s only a parable.

Rather, whoever actually wants to see the malachim how malachim can be clothed [mitlabesh: clothed, garbed] in a body, in a certain kind of body — the Ramban calls it a “kavod nivra” [kavod nivra: a created glory, a kind of created spiritual body], a “guf nivra” [guf nivra: a created body], a refined kind of body that a malach can don, or even a neshamah can have such a body mitzad haneshamah [mitzad haneshamah: from the side of the soul] — then one must do practical mitzvot.

Eliyahu HaNavi and the Level of Pesach Night

Eliyahu HaNavi: A Soul That Is Also a Malach

Whoever wants to see before Pesach night, it is said that Eliyahu HaNavi [Eliyahu HaNavi: the prophet Eliyahu] comes. We see in the Radak [Radak: Rabbi David Kimchi] on the verse [pasuk: verse] that was said in the Haftarah [Haftarah: the Haftarah] of Shabbat HaGadol [Shabbat HaGadol: the Shabbat before Pesach], “hinei anochi shole’ach lachem et Eliyahu HaNavi” [hinei anochi shole’ach lachem et Eliyahu HaNavi: behold, I send to you Eliyahu the prophet — Malachi 3:23], it appears that actually the Radak and Ibn Ezra [Ibn Ezra: Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra] understood that this is pshuto shel mikra [pshuto shel mikra: the simple meaning of the verse], that Eliyahu HaNavi actually “alah b’se’arah hashamaimah” [alah b’se’arah hashamaimah: he went up in a whirlwind to heaven — Melachim II 2:11], actually went up to heaven, but this means that in a body, b’guf [b’guf: with a body], he no longer lives in this world [olam hazeh: this world].

But we find already in Tanach [Tanach: Torah Nevi’im Ketuvim — the Holy Scriptures] explicitly [b’feirush: clearly] “vayavo michtav mei’Eliyahu” [vayavo michtav mei’Eliyahu: and there came a letter from Eliyahu — Divrei HaYamim II 21:12], Eliyahu HaNavi wrote a letter. The letter came already after Eliyahu HaNavi was no longer in this world. It appears that he had a way, Eliyahu HaNavi, to return in a clothing [hitlabshut: clothing, garbing] of a body, in a manner [ofan: way, form] of a body, like the body, the “kavod nivra sheb’neshamot u’malachim” [kavod nivra sheb’neshamot u’malachim: the created glory of neshamot and malachim] it’s called, and he can return.

He already returned once, and the Ibn Ezra says that it was already “motza et chachmei haTalmud” [motza et chachmei haTalmud: one finds him among the sages of the Talmud], and they spoke with Eliyahu HaNavi. It’s not “lo niflet hi mimcha v’lo rechokah hi” [lo niflet hi mimcha v’lo rechokah hi: it’s not too far from you and not too distant — Devarim 30:11], it’s a completely simple thing, it’s a small level, it can come.

Pesach Night: The Aspect of Eliyahu HaNavi in a Body

About this all children say that Pesach night Eliyahu HaNavi comes. The meaning is that the great work [avodah: service, work] of Pesach night is the aspect of Eliyahu HaNavi sheb’guf [sheb’guf: in a body]. That is to say, Eliyahu HaNavi who is actually a neshamah itself, but he is also a malach. What does it mean that his neshamah is also a malach? Because Eliyahu HaNavi can sometimes come and don this body.

An Example: How One Can Feel or See Eliyahu HaNavi

And whoever wants to have an understanding [havanah: understanding], there is a kind of analogy [dimyon: parable, comparison]. That is to say, as one can say, if one wants to have an explanation [hesber: explanation] of this, one will say that sometimes there is a person who feels a certain presence, he feels that something is there, someone is there. Or if there is a person who is more visual, he actually sees in his ko’ach hadimyon [ko’ach hadimyon: the power of imagination], in his sechel hadimyon [sechel hadimyon: the intellect of imagination], he actually sees how something is there, he actually sees how Eliyahu HaNavi comes.

This is the meaning that Eliyahu HaNavi was clothed in a garment [levush: clothing] of a body, in other words, the neshamah was clothed in a garment of a malach and came.

The Secret of Eliyahu HaNavi and the Path of Service

This is the secret [sod: secret] that Eliyahu HaNavi comes Pesach night, because whoever wants to have such a kind of revelation [hitgalut: revelation], there is such a kind of revelation, there is such a kind of path [derech: path] in service. There are other kinds of paths, there are deeper ones, one can say the inwardness is certainly higher, but there is this path also.

Whoever wants to do this path, he must:

– Eat matzah and maror

– Don a kittel [kittel: white garment that one wears at the Seder]

– Do all the garments

– All the external actions that one does

– Tell the stories

– Make acts [she’ot: acts, actions]

– K’ilu hu yotzei miMitzrayim [k’ilu hu yotzei miMitzrayim: as if he is going out from Egypt]

– L’harot et atzmo k’ilu hu yotzei miMitzrayim [l’harot et atzmo k’ilu hu yotzei miMitzrayim: to show himself as if he is going out from Egypt]

And through this one brings forth the aspect of Eliyahu HaNavi, “hinei anochi shole’ach lachem et Eliyahu HaNavi lifnei bo yom Hashem” [lifnei bo yom Hashem: before the coming of the day of Hashem]. Yom Hashem [yom Hashem: the day of Hashem] means the inwardness, the essential level [etzem madreigah: the essential level], the madreigat haneshamah [madreigat haneshamah: the level of the soul]. But the madreigat hamalachim [madreigat hamalachim: the level of the malachim], this is the Eliyahu HaNavi who comes Pesach night.

The Question: What About the Prayers of Pesach Night?

Now however, says the holy Rashash, if so, we must understand that there are also prayers on Pesach night. For example [l’mashal: for example], in the Haggadah itself there is a problem, because there is a mitzvah sheb’dibbur. How will we reconcile [meiyashev zein: reconcile] how according to the Rashash is it malachim then? One can call it the pnimiyut sheb’chitzoniyut [pnimiyut sheb’chitzoniyut: the inwardness within the outwardness], but not now, let’s not go into the investigation [chakirah: investigation], perhaps we will speak about this in a minute.

The Main Point: One Must Do Both — Outwardness and Inwardness

But first let’s speak about what we began to speak about. That is to say, it comes out that although [hagam: although] there is the main service, let’s say, of Pesach night is the service of malachim. On this stands the same thing, we spoke about Eliyahu HaNavi, we also spoke about “v’hamashchit lo yiten lavo el bateichem lingof” [v’hamashchit lo yiten lavo el bateichem lingof: and the destroyer will not be permitted to come into your houses to strike — Shemot 12:23], how the mashchit [mashchit: the destroyer] is something of a malach, whatever it may be. The simple meaning stands in an explicit verse that something comes…

“Ani V’lo Malach” — The Inwardness Within It

And we actually say in the Haggadah “ani v’lo malach” [ani v’lo malach: I and not an angel]. This is the olam hapnimiyut [olam hapnimiyut: the world of inwardness], this is the inwardness within it. But b’chitzoniyut [b’chitzoniyut: in outwardness], certainly the entire story of Pesach was all kinds of things, all kinds of acts that one can see, matters [inyanim: things, matters] of malachim coming.

There is a Midrash [Midrash: Midrash] that says, which certain versions [nuscha’ot: versions] say in the Haggadah, that Ribbono shel Olam [Ribbono shel Olam: the Master of the Universe] took in Egypt, He went with tens of thousands of malachim, and it describes [me’ta’er: describes] what kind of malachim they were, and so forth [v’chadomeh: and such]. This is the main thing, the level of Pesach night.

The Prayers of Pesach Night — The Inner Work

However [amnam: however], this is what we say, this is what one must do. Ribbono shel Olam said, “ani v’lo malach,” “ani v’lo saraf” [ani v’lo saraf: I and not a seraph], “ani v’lo hashaliach” [ani v’lo hashaliach: I and not the messenger]. The children who say “Mah Nishtanah,” this is what one must do on Pesach night.

But, whoever is wealthy [osher: wealthy] also has the inwardness, and each one of us has some inwardness.

In other words in Yiddish:

– He has what he thinks for himself

– And he has what he says for his children

– He has what he thinks between himself and his Creator [beino l’vein kono: between him and his Creator] when he prays

– When he stands for Shemoneh Esrei [Shemoneh Esrei: the Eighteen Blessings, the main prayer]

– When one doesn’t interrupt [mafsik: interrupt], even not with small children

There is a ruling in Shulchan Aruch [Shulchan Aruch: the main code of halachah] that one should not hold a child in one’s hands when one prays Shemoneh Esrei. That is to say, here there are madreigot hamochin [madreigot hamochin: the levels of intellect], and one level is gadlut [gadlut: greatness], and that is called chinuch [chinuch: education].

Certainly he must educate [mechanech zein: educate] his children, and in general he must, “k’sheyeishev adam al mitato yonek” [k’sheyeishev adam al mitato yonek: when a person sits on his bed he should nurse his child — a verse that speaks about education], he must hold his children. But when he stands for Shemoneh Esrei, he doesn’t hold his children. Then he is for himself, then he is between himself and his Creator.

The Kavvanot of the Rashash for Prayer on Pesach Night

Then there is also a Pesach. There is an entire kind of Pesach, there is an entire level. And the Rashash elaborates [mefareit: goes into details] in his kavvanot how one can elaborate the mochin d’gadlut [mochin d’gadlut: the intellect of greatness], the mochin d’katnut [mochin d’katnut: the intellect of smallness], according to the order, how one draws down [mamshich: draws down] the mochin in general in prayer. One meditates [m’chavein: meditates, has intention] on the same Names [Shemot: holy Names]. The same Names that one meditates on at the Seder, one meditates already at Maariv, at Kriat Shema [Kriat Shema: saying Shema Yisrael], at Shemoneh Esrei, the main times [zmanim: times] of unification [yichud: unification], of drawing down mochin [hamshachat mochin: the drawing down of intellect].

Because this is what a Jew must do for himself.

Conclusion: The Two Levels and How They Fit Together

Living with Miracles in a World of Nature: The Fundamental Problem of Chassidic Service of God

Chapter 3: The True Question of Miracles — Not Believing, But Living With Them

The Chassidic Jew and the Problem of Identification

But a Chassidic Jew is the kind of person for whom it’s not enough just to do. He needs to have a taste in it, he needs to truly identify with it, he needs to truly enter into it. And truly entering means truly convincing oneself of something that isn’t so with reality.

The level of the Seder night is that there’s already long been no such goy [non-Jew] in the world, the true level. We are not on the true level. Not only are we not on the true level — the world is not on the true level, because there are indeed goyim [non-Jews] in the world.

But a person doesn’t live on the true level, and it’s no novelty for any gadol [great person] that there are goyim [non-Jews]. I hope you understand the problem. I hope you understand the problem. This is a very basic problem.

From Chassidic Stories to the Greater Problem

And now, the problem — this is what I asked about Chassidic stories, which is something that brings out the matter very clearly. But truly the problem is much greater.

That is, it’s not just a problem about Chassidic stories — Chassidic Jews who want to understand, want to identify, want to be truly there, therefore they grasp, their stories bring out the issue [be’aya: problem]. But it’s a problem in general.

The Problem of Pesach: Living on a Basis of Miracles

Let’s put it in other words. Let’s say a Jew says that on Pesach night we bring out that the Almighty took the Jews out of Egypt. We proclaim that the Almighty took us out b’ossos u’vemoftim [with signs and wonders], with ten plagues, with the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, with all kinds of wondrous innovations, against nature. It was all miracles, it was all nissim v’niflaos [miracles and wonders].

V’chen k’mo she’hotzeisanu miMitzrayim ken totzi’einu [And just as You took us out of Egypt, so shall You take us out] — we believe, we hope that it can be today, it can be tomorrow morning, there should come some Moshe and make ten plagues against whoever Pharaoh is today, and with all kinds of nissim v’niflaos [miracles and wonders], etc., etc.

First Introduction: What Do We Really Mean by “Miracles”?

Now, certainly, let’s bring out the question clearly. Certainly, when we speak about the future or about the past — yes? We say that there were once great miracles in the Exodus from Egypt. It doesn’t just mean great miracles, but some whole kind of conduct that one could plan, one could live on a basis of what is not normal.

Let me — I see that I also need to bring another thing, yes? Let’s bring out two introductions to explain the question better.

First of all, one thing is this:

When we say there were miracles, we don’t just mean to tell a story, yes? Everyone understands — on Pesach night when we say there were once ten miracles in Egypt, that’s not yet the point, right?

And even what was then — let’s even speak historically what was — or what we say will be in the future when Mashiach comes, it doesn’t mean to bring out, it doesn’t just mean a story. There was a story — the blood became water, or the water became blood, sorry. That’s not what we mean, yes? That’s not the point, that’s not something that’s even relevant today, that one enters into some kind of level of living.

What we mean is something, a better thing:

We mean that the kind, the order, the way how a person looked at his life, the way how a person planned his life, is different in what we call a period of miracles — in the time of the Exodus from Egypt — than today, yes?

The Parable of the Jew in Egypt: Planning Based on Miracles

If someone came to a Jew on Erev Pesach in the year 2448 [the year two thousand four hundred forty-eight from Creation], when it was the time of the Exodus from Egypt, and asked him: “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to buy a korban Pesach [Passover offering].”

“Why are you going to buy a korban Pesach?”

“Because tonight the Almighty is coming to kill all the firstborn of Egypt, and He needs to see the korban Pesach in order not to kill us there.”

One says to him: “Are you a normal person? You’re planning based on miracles, on ossos u’moftim [signs and wonders]? That’s not the way a normal person plans something!”

Even We Who Believe in Mashiach — Do We Live That Way?

Even we who say we believe in the coming of Mashiach — no one builds his life on that, right? He doesn’t plan built on that.

He lives, and we have a certain way how we understand the world, and which — you can call — in which world we live, in which kind of intellectual [sichli], in which kind of cause and effect we take seriously how we plan our lives. And this is all what we call derech hateva [the way of nature], which is the normal way.

What “Miracle” Means — A Deeper Understanding

And we say there was a miracle — doesn’t just mean that it happened. That it happened, you can say the Almighty can do everything, it happened. It’s deeper than that, right?

Truly, this is the foundation of prophecy. From this one must say that Moshe Rabbeinu came and said this, yes? Because it’s not just that there was a miracle.

The story of the Exodus from Egypt is not just that there was once a miracle that took the Jews out of Egypt. The story is that it made sense, right? There’s simply a way that this is called the way of living.

L’haros es atzmo k’ilu hu yatza miMitzrayim [To show himself as if he went out of Egypt], right? There’s simply a way of living, there’s simply a mind — what does it mean, what does a miracle mean?

It means that the Jews in Egypt lived:

Their deed is — truly the Jews lived in Egypt — their deed is that they left Egypt not because it happened through natural means (derech hateva), but because it was through a miracle (derech nes). It was simply a novelty (chiddush). That’s what we’re saying, right?

The Difficulty: Can One Truly Believe in Miracles?

Now, this is much more difficult. Someone will say: “Yes, certainly, I can — someone knows, I say — I want to say this. I say God forbid — not God forbid, I say it not only not God forbid, not only from the perspective of faith (emunah), from the perspective of intellect (seichel) also. You say you know that a miracle can’t happen? It didn’t happen?”

What I Can Say:

That no miracle is happening now — that I can say. That is, as much as I see, in my eyes, in my life I don’t see such a thing as a miracle. I see what is the normal way how a person lives. I have the considerations that I make, and everything is through natural means (derech hateva). That I understand, that’s what I see.

But What Happened Once You Don’t See:

Okay, perhaps there were once many miracles, perhaps there will be once many miracles. You can’t deny it, you can’t even beyond knowledge. It’s la noda [la noda: not known], you don’t know.

We imagine that it’s always normal. Okay, perhaps once it’s not normal. Perhaps once it wasn’t normal, perhaps once it won’t be normal. Everything can be, right?

The Greater Novelty: Living Such a Thing Truly

But the greater novelty is something else. The greater novelty is a completely different thing. The greater novelty to say here is — is to say that one can live such a thing truly.

The Difference Between Believing and Living:

That a person says even today, that a person says he believes in Mashiach will come — is one thing.

That a person says that on a certain level, because daily life one still can’t plan — even according to the approach, according to the understanding, one can’t plan daily life based on the fact that Mashiach will come.

The “Jewish Question”

But he says in general terms, he asks: “What will be with the Jews?” Yes, that’s the question, the Jewish question. What will be with the Jews? What will be? There are difficulties, there are all kinds of enemies, there are all kinds of troubles physically and spiritually — what will be here?

The Answer is Mashiach:

One tells him something else, one tells him: yes, that comes regarding this, the answer is — the answer is yes the topic of Mashiach will come. That’s the answer. The answer to the Jewish question is Mashiach will come.

That is, you asked a normal question through natural means (derech hateva), and the answer is not through natural means (shelo bederech hateva), right? The answer is that Mashiach will come. That’s the novelty they’re saying here, right? That’s the new thing they’re saying.

The True Novelty: Building a Life on Miracles

Now, this is a completely different thing. This is the point, that not only does one say that it once was and it will once be. They’re saying that there’s a type of calculation — I don’t know what’s the exact good word, I’ll try to use one word — this is that a person lives, yes? A person plans based on this, he speaks of the past based on this, he answers questions, he has ideas, his hopes and his fears are based on this.

Regarding the Jewish People in General:

This — the answer is regarding general terms at least, regarding the Jews in general terms. Regarding each person individually perhaps one is relying on a miracle (someich al hanes), that exactly Mashiach will come — who says that exactly when you die will be the war of Gog and Magog? I don’t know, I’ll answer exactly your problem.

But the problem of the Jewish people in general they say, the answer is Mashiach. This isn’t a normal thing. How can you build this way?

The Story Began at the Exodus from Egypt

Even when one begins the story — the story began at the Exodus from Egypt (yetziat mitzrayim). The problem isn’t to believe that such a thing can happen — that’s easy, it’s not even a question. You weren’t there, you weren’t in the past, you won’t be in the future — everything can be.

The True Problem:

The problem is something completely different. The problem is to say that one can live, that to plan the plans, the answer to the question “from where do you come and where are you going” is: “I come from a miracle and I’m going to a miracle.”

So the question appears: We don’t live that way! We live — and even the halacha is so — no one disagrees that the fact is we don’t live in a world of miracles, we live in a world of nature.

So what’s the meaning of this? This is a great question. This is the question I have, this must be difficult.

The Deeper Problem: One Can’t Live on Miracles

And it appears from the kind of Hasidic story I said — now we understand that the problem is much deeper — that many people think that yes, truly, certainly, we don’t have the proper level of faith (emunah), the level of trust (bitachon), the level of clarity. We don’t understand properly that what? That indeed everything is miracles, that one can live on miracles, one can plan for miracles, etc.

The Error in This Approach:

We think unfortunately that the world is sort of nature (teva). If we were great tzaddikim, we would have made a correct action, would have struggled, worked as it were on our character traits (middos), on our trust (bitachon) — we would indeed see that everything is miracles. So? We would have — in other words — we would have been able to convince ourselves.

Yes, that’s the problem!

Back to the Topic: Not in Sync with Reality

Let’s go back to the topic, that the purpose of service of God (avodas Hashem) is to be not in sync with reality.

The reality is, according to all opinions, that there are no miracles. But the tzaddik — he’s the one who lives, let’s say, today is a period of concealment of the face (hester panim), that there will be once miracles, once there were miracles — very good.

But in Other Words:

His faith (emunah), his consciousness, right? His consciousness, the way he thinks about life, isn’t built on the reality that is now. It’s built on the reality that was then. In other words, not on reality, because not on the way the world works now. He must live…

A Scholarly Question: Concealment of the Face and Faith

I can ask you a question. If one says — one can ask you the question in another scholarly way:

If you say that concealment of the face (hester panim) is now a time of concealment of the face, it’s not a time of miracles — well, so what does it mean that a tzaddik lives in a time of… he lives with faith (emunah)?

He Lives with Faith — So He’s Not Right:

A person must always live with the conduct that exists now. If now is the level of concealment of the face, one must live with concealment of the face, not with faith!

And one says that there can even be such a book, that even if a tzaddik speaks yes faith, one may not live with it, because it’s not the reality.

A Way to Say It Scholarly

But I like this — this is such a way how one can say it scholarly, if someone doesn’t want to sound like he’s asking too difficult a question:

To say, what’s the source that one should say yes? One says for example, the Ramban says that there’s a level of if he has revelation of the face (gilui panim), then he doesn’t need a doctor, one only needs God, and tzaddikim live this way.

The Ramban’s Approach: Even a Tzaddik May Not

No, according to the Ramban even a tzaddik may not live this way today, because now is not a time of concealment of the face [his intention: now is a time of concealment of the face].

Perhaps to Say Individually, By You It’s Yes?

Okay, one must be precise whether it’s indeed so. If it’s indeed so, he doesn’t need to be a tzaddik — he’s still normal. Perhaps because he’s a tzaddik he has a revelation of the face, he has many miracles. But in general not — that’s the main thing.

And according to the Ramban the simple meaning is that he doesn’t need to.

Faith in Redemption: Nature, Miracles, and the True Reality

Chapter 4: The Answer – What People Call “Reality” Is Not the True Reality

Summary of the Question

No, according to the Ramban even a tzaddik may not live this way today, because now is not a time of concealment of the face. Perhaps to say individually by you it’s yes, okay, one must be precise. Is it indeed so? If it’s indeed so, so there’s no, one doesn’t need to be a tzaddik, it’s still normal. Perhaps because he’s a tzaddik he has a revelation of the face, he has providence (hashgacha), he has miracles, but in general it’s not the thing. And according to the Ramban simply in exile one may not rely on a miracle, because there’s no commonness of miracles.

So in short, the summary of the matter, and practically, for all this it didn’t help, because the whole thing that we say, that we believe in the redemption (geulah) that was and that will be, is all built on an idea of miracles. And we say that this is one aspect of miracles, but indeed, right now there are no miracles. It’s perhaps a forced answer, it’s different than a forced answer that now is concealment of the face. And not only that, hope for redemption (tikvas hageulah), this is hoping for Mashiach and hoping for the redemption, is a thing of now, not a thing of the future that there will be something a different kind of world. We claim that there will be a different kind of world, and one will then need to adjust to the different kind of world. Now isn’t that world, so what do you want from us? Something is here a problem, something is here a basic problem.

Introduction to the Answer

So I want to say a novelty (chiddush). I hope that the audience understands enough my question, and if not one should come and we’ll talk about this more. But until here is the question, until here we’ve explained the question. And built on the story of Reb Mendele brought out that it can’t be that the foundation, the level of righteousness (tzidkus), is to be with imagination. And when I mean imagination I don’t mean only to say that he’s with imagination and he thinks there are no gentiles, but I mean even deeper, that his level of faith is not the level of faith that leads the world.

Let’s be able to say, if one wants one can say it so: the level is a Divine Presence (Shechina), the level is a providence (hashgacha) that exists today is the level of concealment of the face, not a level of nature, of chance, not of miracles. So if a tzaddik rules for himself that he lives with miracles, but the Jew in general believes that miracles will come to him, is a whole miracle. So this isn’t the reality of now. So what does it mean at all to say that I live in a level that isn’t reality? So the thing is going into a place that isn’t reality, it’s very strange. And the future will be the reality. Something is missing here a very strong explanation.

Beginning of the Answer – Everything Is Through Natural Means

So I want to say the answer that I understood recently. Afterwards understand everything, but I hope also with the answer. Perhaps here is the first time I’m speaking out the foundation, so it will be hard to understand. Let’s try to say the answer.

The answer is so, and the answer to this is, what’s the answer? The answer to this is so, let’s try to say the answer. The answer to, I’m speaking now in general terms regarding what happens with the nation of Israel, the community of Israel (klal yisrael), which is the main thing of Passover. The truth is that it’s also individually, but individually is perhaps more complicated to see or to speak about, but certainly in general terms it’s so.

The answer is so: That which we think is reality, normality, and I’m speaking all this through natural means (derech hateva). If someone wants, he can say that what I’m now going to say is that the redemption can be through natural means. But one must understand what one means to say through natural means, and I see that very deep things will come, and one must be careful to say it the right way, meaning one must understand clearly, not get confused. But let’s say so, what I’m apparently here saying is that everything is natural, everything can be through natural means. What I want to say is generally that it’s not through natural means, that’s the whole story of miracles.

The Foundation: Habit Is Not Nature

What I want to say is so: What we imagine can be, a person, what is based on what do you make your plans? Based on what do you make your plans? Let’s speak of the plans in general terms. One asks the question, what’s happening with the Jewish people? They’re exactly in a difficult situation, perhaps today, and in short, one will go into exactly which stage they’re in every situation, it’s perhaps a problem.

What does one do with this? Says a Jew, I have to say the answer, Mashiach will come. One tells him, this is reality? He says yes. What do you mean to say that it’s yes?

The Jew says so, he says first of all, I mean that you, gentile, you, heretic, you who aren’t one who believes in his coming, yes, the one who is one who believes in the coming of Mashiach (ma’amin bevias hamashiach), you don’t understand reality. What you call reality is only habit.

Now I’m speaking one hundred percent according to every scientist, according to the greatest atheist, I’m not saying any insertion of any level of things that one can’t see. What do I mean to say?

Parable of the Soviet Union

So it is with most people, we’re accustomed, and one speaks of history, a person who for example stands up, he lives in the, I know, in the Soviet Union, Soviet Union, he’s already born there, his father is already born there perhaps, he’s already forty years old this young man, he says come here, this is the reality, this is the kingdom, his evil kingdom, that’s how it goes.

He says no, I hold that tomorrow morning it can arise it shouldn’t be. He says no you don’t live in reality, you live in imaginations and truly and much about indeed will be planning life, based on this, doing everything, prayers for rebellion, best that tomorrow it can’t be, perhaps the things one indeed shouldn’t do. This speaks indeed practically.

But if I ask myself in thought, the thought to understand, is it true that tomorrow morning it must be that there will be the Soviet Union? One must say, the one who understands properly reality, nature — I’m not speaking now of anything above nature — one says no, it can be that tomorrow morning must arise there’s no Soviet Union. Now we know already that the Soviet Union it can happen, that someone in the prison must arise and there’s no Soviet Union.

The Difference Between True Nature and Human Habit

In other words, that which is called nature — that the sea should split for you — I don’t know. That’s a natural thing perhaps perhaps. Even the sea isn’t simple. But I know that the things, people should fall up, and not down. That’s against nature, that will never happen.

So comes the next scientist, the one who understands nature, he says no more, you speak of nature? Certainly, you want to say that people can be accustomed to fly, people can already be accustomed to fly. Not with a helicopter, but people themselves can already be accustomed to fly. But that one kingdom has fallen and a second kingdom has come, there’s nothing in nature against this. It’s completely through natural means (derech hateva).

The Paradox of Human Understanding

Ah, people usually are exactly opposite. People think that it’s easier to imagine that there’s a psychic who can make a spoon bend with his mind which is a violation of natural means, it’s easier to believe than that Mashiach, a person, should come and the Jews should take back the Land of Israel. That’s harder to believe for people.

Why? Because what people call nature and what the fact is nature, it’s very far. And especially even after what should have history and what should have science and everything, still doesn’t help. This is people, the way of the world (minhago shel olam), the custom of people, yes, not the way of the world in the sense of nature.

The natural view of people isn’t natural, it’s not what reality is, it’s very far from reality. What one calls ordinary people, what one calls yes, what is through natural means, isn’t reality, it’s not at all reality.

What Is Truly Through Natural Means and What Isn’t

Many things that we think are reality and are very certain about are the least important things according to nature, even for someone who properly understands what the laws of nature are. And conversely, there are things that are indeed laws of nature, and in those things people are dismissive of them, yes?

If someone will, I don’t know, do something here that’s dangerous for his health and remain healthy, that’s harder for people to believe for some reason. Yes, everyone can believe, most people believe that it’s possible, I don’t know, that he smoked his whole life and he doesn’t have a greater risk of cancer, let’s say, that’s for some reason a very thing that people believe. But that tomorrow there should be generally a different country in charge, whoever says that, you have to be a fantasist.

The Difference Between General and Specific

Now, when he says specifically a certain thing, or when he says he’s making a certain plan, it could be that he’s a fantasist, that’s generally not so simple. These are things that, these are more details and specifics, as the Rambam says, to know when it will happen, how it will happen, that’s already not the belief in the coming of Mashiach at all. That’s already, even if someone says he believes specifically how the plagues of Egypt will happen, I don’t know if that’s the belief, that’s already details, that’s already things that one needs to know in a detailed manner.

The Essential Belief: Awaiting His Coming

But to say that it can happen, to await his coming, and even a good thing, to hope that it will happen, to hope that it will happen what? That Mashiach should come? In other words, that the Jews are now slaves to Pharaoh or slaves to the servants of Achashverosh, and it can be tomorrow morning that it shouldn’t be, or after a process, what’s the difference, it can certainly be, not just that it can be, it will probably be.

The Example of Zionism

And by the way, it’s already happened in a certain sense, yes? Let me take this out, I don’t want to get into the topic of Zionism, which has many details, but even that, yes, let’s understand. They said to Jews that it’s not, you don’t have to give up anything at all. They told the Jews, the Jews themselves thought, and they perhaps still think today, it can’t be that they should have back a kingdom in the Land of Israel the Jews. It was unrealistic, meaning a realistic person said that it’s crazy, one must do what Jacob our father did, bow down before Esau, it’s not realistic, it’s dangerous.

Now, it can still be that it’s dangerous, it can still be 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 “as it is above so it is below,” just as with a person there are different attributes, so too with the Almighty, or the deeper things that the kabbalists say, that a person who conducts himself with the attributes of kindness awakens in the Almighty the attributes of kindness – we do say yes that it’s miracles, we do say yes that

Miracles and Reality: Why People Need Homilies

Chapter 5: The Paradox of Miracles – Why We Tell What Doesn’t Match

The Question: Why Do We Say Miracles?

Even I know what means not in the natural way. Not in the natural way is such a funny word that people say when they say things that aren’t possible. It can come in all kinds of ways, one can make a segulah (mystical remedy) with the Name. If someone says that one can do it with the Name, you should do it with the Name. Someone wants to send an airplane, he should make a fire, a Temple of fire, one can’t? One can do everything. What did it mean literally at all? What’s the meaning of a Temple of fire? One also needs to know that. But these are already details. But all these things are possible.

But what? Ah, now let me go back. If so, why do we say miracles? We do say yes that it’s miracles, we do say yes wonders, and we do emphasize the thing that it’s not natural. Why do we say this? Why do we say this? And even we say it sometimes, we say it with homilies, we say it superficially which isn’t really, it’s not really natural. We do say yes for example stories of how Mashiach comes with a horse, with a donkey, and from heaven, and a spirit from heaven.

The Answer: People Are Funny

The answer is actually about this, because people are funny. People are funny. People, what is indeed not natural is easier for them to believe than things that are not not natural, that are not possible. That’s the funny nature of people. That’s the answer to the language of people, as one says the externals speak. The angels are indeed those who speak the language of people. People are like that, people are funny.

People, that Mashiach can come flying from heaven, which that, let’s say, I don’t know if it’s correct, let’s say, naturally is impossible, a person can’t fly, perhaps it meant he’ll fly with an airplane, but let’s say what people thought, he’ll fly with his own hands, that people think is indeed possible. But to say that which is indeed naturally possible, that it can simply come as the Rambam (Maimonides) says, a king from the house of David and establish a land and it should be according to Torah and it should be all for the honor of Heaven and everything, that people think is not possible.

Examples of the Funniness of People

People are funny. Whoever lives with people, he’s seen the whole day the funny behavior. Things that are… if I’ll tell a person that he can fly in heaven, “What, I don’t hear you, someone else is talking, the Baal Shem Tov did indeed fly in heaven.” And so on and so forth. If I’ll tell however a person that it can be that tomorrow will be the empire a completely different empire, he says, you’re a normal person. That’s the fact. It’s really a funny fact, but that’s the fact.

The Practical Application by the Exodus from Egypt

And therefore, when the Torah says, when one tells a child the story of the Exodus from Egypt, what does one want to bring out to him? That you see Pharaoh, you see he has an empire, it’s tremendously large, it looks like it’s been going on for thousands of years, you think that it can never be nullified, it can never fall. That’s harder for people to believe. Therefore what does one tell them? One combines, one connects the two things. One tells him, could you have gotten a person flying? Ah, it will come flying, Pharaoh was certainly impressed, he certainly let out the Jews. Ah, no problem.

Chapter 6: “Reality is Stranger than Fiction” – The Deeper Explanation

The Funniness of the Way We Say Things

So the way, it’s very funny, the way how one says things, that one must express the word how one should say it. Excuse me, the funniest is the things that appear seemingly the furthest from us, such as the coming of Mashiach, such as the redemption, such as all miracles, they are precisely things that whoever understands properly the reality, properly nature, knows that they are the easiest things. They happen constantly. But the nature of people is different. The nature of most people is indeed not the same as the nature of creation, the reality.

Most people, things that aren’t realistic, they think are realistic, or at least, one tells him miraculously, the Almighty can, it’s easy for him to imagine, it’s easy for him to imagine, all these understand. A person’s imagination doesn’t work the same way as reality always works. Oh, I need to add an explanation to this. Okay, let me in a minute finish this, and I have an explanation for this.

The Practical Conclusion

And therefore what is? Is, one tells him, in order that he should believe in the reality, one tells him a thing that’s not reality according to imagination, but in his head it makes sense. I can explain this a bit, one second, explain what it means, why indeed it’s so. Why indeed is it so? It’s very funny. I say that people’s reality… seemingly I’m going back to say that people aren’t in sync with reality, but now I’ve explained it a bit better. But why is this so?

The Foundation: Reality is Stranger than Fiction

The foundation is thus: It’s known that one says that “reality is stranger than fiction.” What does one generally mean to say? That means, our knowledge also, precisely this Aristotle said that when one writes fiction it must make sense. Fiction must be more true, it must be a general thing, it must have a certain logic why one thing happens after the other. Reality doesn’t have to go that way. That means, in a certain sense it must go that way, but not in the way that we understand, not on the level that we understand.

It’s true that in reality every thing has a cause, somewhere it has a cause, but we don’t always have out, it’s easy for us to make a story. Therefore when reality is told, many times one says the story that happened is stranger, is stranger than fiction. It’s a true thing, it’s not a joke. Because fiction, literally, you bring out a thing that should have happened, how it should have happened, how the order of things. But not so in reality can happen different things, according to whatever is possible can happen. It can be that a person will come and make a decision that makes no sense and do it, and such things. Or there will come some natural thing or unnatural and things will happen.

The Application by the Exodus from Egypt

So now, if so one understands why, let’s understand thus, we’ll say the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The story of the Exodus from Egypt, in a certain sense we must make it that it should make sense. The problem is that the way how it happened made even less sense than the stories of wonders that we tell the children so to speak, that means what is a certain literal meaning he made the stories.

In other words, a story that I tell. Yes, fiction, clearly, fiction may also not go with the rules of reality in this sense, fiction may have wonders, it may have magic, right? You know, even today, which is a cold heretical world, in fiction there may be magic, and not only may, it even helps sometimes. Why? Because that helps that the logic of the story should fit.

That means, how can it be Egypt was the greatest country, how can it be the Jews went out? The answer is simple, there came ten plagues with miracles, and the whole story he let out. That answers the question, and in the story it fits. Does that fit in reality? Not so well, because in reality perhaps such miracles don’t happen in this way.

The Stranger Truth

But in reality happened something stranger, that’s indeed the truth. That the Jews went out from Egypt without miracles, let’s say someone, entirely naturally, as someone came to make that each plague was natural, as the Baal Shem Tov told himself the story in the portion of Beshalach, is indeed even more strange.

Now, the truth is that the even more strange thing happened and happens all the time. That means, one can call this an even greater miracle, as the Almighty said, and how did Moses our teacher know that precisely then will be the Red Sea will be so, and so on. That’s an even greater miracle, true. But that people can’t understand. For that one doesn’t need only faith, one needs to have a much deeper understanding. Most people don’t have this deeper understanding, and even we don’t have it, because we’re too accustomed to think in the way of fiction. We want that things should make sense. Reality however doesn’t have to make sense. So what?

Chapter 7: The Secret of Midrash – Why We Tell Miraculously

History is Also a Kind of Fiction

So therefore, when one tells the stories, one must tell it through midrash (homiletical interpretation), not through facts, history, a story that was. History is also a certain fiction, because just as everyone who writes history makes it that it should fit, although in reality it can be that it didn’t fit precisely in that way.

So therefore, that’s the secret why one must make miracles in order to convey the thing. Right? That means, one must tell – it comes out a very strange thing, really amazing what I’m saying, but that’s the basic thing. The first time that I’m saying it, I hope that I’ll say it over another time to become clearer.

The Main Point: The Reality is Even More Strange

The word is thus: The fact, if someone asks a question, we tell ourselves a story that’s not with reality, one says true. But the reason why we say it is because the reality is even more strange. The reality you can’t understand at all how the reality itself works. Therefore one tells you miracles, because miracles you understand at least. At least you can understand, the Torah story fits the story of miracles.

The Application by Mashiach

But the truth, and one can even say thus, let’s say one wants Jews should hope for Mashiach, should believe in Mashiach, yes? One can tell them how the Rambam tried to say naturally how it can be Mashiach should come, and that will work perhaps for one of a thousand people. One can tell them the midrash, Mashiach came flying on a string, and everything happened in a second. And the wonder is that it’s easier to understand the midrash. That’s the secret.

Summary and Conclusion

I hope that this is sufficiently explained how we understand, and afterward explain to the children the midrash, which that’s the externality of this.

A great thank you, a good Pesach.