ואתחנן 5769

Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Va’eschanan 5769

D’ei Chochmah

L’nafshechah

“Let your soul know wisdom”

Parshas Va’eschanan

From the discourses of Moreinu v’Rabeinu

the Gaon and Tzaddik Shlit”a

- not for general circulation -

Published by the Yam Hachochmah Institute

Under the auspices of “Yeshivas Toras Chochom”

for the study of the

revealed and hidden Torah

4 Ohalei Yosef st., Jerusalem

D’ei Chochmah L’Nafshechah Parshas Va’eschanan

3

Shalosh Seudos1 of Parshas Va’eschanan 5767

עבדך -אתה החלות להראות את ',י ה- אדנ . בעת ההוא לאמר 'ה ואתחנן אל"

ך יעשה כמעשי- ובארץ אשר אל בשמים- אשר מי, ידך החזקה- גדלך ואת- את

ההר ,בעבר הירדן ץ הטובה אשרהאר - נא ואראה את- אעברה. וכגבורתך

."הטוב הזה והלבנן

“And I beseeched Hashem at that time, saying: ADNI Hashem, You have

begun to show Your servant Your greatness, and Your strong hand. For

what force is there in heaven or on earth that can do according to Your

works and according to Your mighty acts? Please let me go over and see the

good land that is beyond the Yarden; that goodly hill-country, and

Levanon.”2

The Secret of Moshe’s Prayer

When Moshe Rabbeinu pleaded with Hashem for clemency, we find that

he addressed Hashem as HaVaYaH—Elokim. [Although the verse seems to

indicate that the Name Moshe used was ADNI-HaVaYaH, this is incorrect, since

we see that the vowelization of the Shem HaVaYaH is that of Elokim.] The

Zohar reveals that when these two Names are together, it indicates that

1 The lesson was delivered at the third meal of Shabbos. 2 Devarim 3:23-25


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Hashem’s Name is complete.3 We can explain this in the context of the teaching

of the Arizal on the verse "המדבר-מי זאת עלה מן" —“Who [mi] is this/she [zos]

that comes up from the wilderness?”4 The word י"מ has a numerical value of 50

[ 10=י 40=מ ]. This fifty corresponds to the fifty gates of Binah, which is the

deeper meaning of the Name Elokim. The word zos alludes to the aspect of

Malchus [“she”—the feminine concept], signified by the name ADNI. In light of

this teaching we learn that Moshe tried to sweeten the judgments through the

aspect of מי זאת, of Binah and Malchus.

As is well known, the prayer of Moshe was an attempt to bring the

ultimate redemption since his entering the land would have triggered a complete

rectification and we would never have been exiled.5 [It therefore especially

important for us to study Moshe’s attempt, his “Va’eschanan,” especially since

his prayers drew down immense gifts of kindness from the Otzar Matnas

Chinam, from Hashem’s “Treasury of Unearned Gifts,” which sustain us during

our long exile.6 An additional important question concerning the ultimate

redemption is the apparent contradiction regarding how it will come about.] On

the one hand, our sages say clearly that the redemption will come in the merit of

Yitzchak.7 On the other hand, it is very well known that the redemption depends

on the arrival and avodah of Eliyahu HaNavi [as implied in the verse at end of

3 Zohar Hakadosh, Parshas Vayakhel 4 Shir HaShirim 8:5; See Sha’ar Hakavanos, Drushei HaLailah #10 5 See Pri Tzaddik, Parshas Matos 6 See the teachings of the Arizal on Parshas Va’eschanan 7 Shabbos 119b


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Malachi]. So which is the pivotal element in the ultimate redemption—that of

Yitzchak, or that of Eliyahu?

Three Weeks of Suffering and Seven Weeks of Consolation

After our double affliction on Tisha B’Av, Hashem doubly comforts the

Jewish people: "אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם" —“I, even I, am He who consoles you.”8

The Baal HaTanya explains that the three weeks of mourning correspond to

blemishes in the three upper sefiros of Chochmah, Binah, and Da’as. These three

sefiros are rectified during the seven weeks of consolation, which correspond to

the seven lower sefiros of Atik which are encased in the partzuf of Arich Anpin.

This towering level [associated with Kesser] alludes to the light of Moshiach

through which everything will be rectified.

“From My Flesh, I See G-d”

The true tzaddikim are always powerfully connected to Hashem, as the

verse states: "חיים כלכם היום, אלהיכם 'ואתם הדבקים בה" —“And you who cleave

to Hashem your G-d, you are alive every one of you this day.”9 Of course, there

is always a level of evil which stands in counterpoint to the good since, “Hashem

made this opposite to that.”10 The aspect of unholiness which corresponds to the

holiness of Moshe is the idolatry referred to as Pe’or—Moshe fights against this

aspect at all times. [This is why Moshe Rabbeinu was buried, “opposite

Pe’or”—to counterbalance the negative force of Pe’or.]11

8 Yeshayah 51:12 9 Devarim 4:4 10 Koheles 7:14 11 Devarim 34:6


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There are two essential paths to dveikus in Hashem, just as every person

is a made up of two distinct elements, the body and the soul. Hashem created

both elements to enable us to connect to and grasp Him. We all have a specific

physical form to enable us to recognize our Creator through the Divine image in

which imbued in which each of us was created. As the verse states, " ה ומבשרי אחז

"ק אלו —“And from my flesh, I see G-d.”12 [Theoretically, one can connect to

Hashem through two paths: through deep contemplation of the Divine image in

our body, and through our soul.] Unfortunately, the physical has been so misused

and blemished over the years that it is [all but] impossible to see the Divine

through our physical bodies. [The Leshem explains that this distortion of the

material through the first sin resulted in the klippos or husk-like forces of

negativity grabbing hold of the physical and making it virtually impossible to

connect to Hashem through these elements.13]

Today, the only way to attain dveikus to Hashem is through the

pathway of the soul, not the body. This means exploring and meditating on the

deeper meaning of each limb, as discussed in the mystical works. As the Baal

Shem Tov explains, today we can only see Hashem through, “From my soul I

see G-d.” [This does not contradict the verse in Iyov, since that can also be

read, “From contemplating the deeper meaning of my flesh, I will come closer

to G-d.”]

12 Iyov 19:26 13 See Sefer HaDei’ah I, Drush #5, 7:8


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Yitzchak’s Power to Mitigate Judgments

"אברהם-ואלה תולדת יצחק בן" —“These are the generations of Yitzchak,

son of Avraham.”14 On this verse, the Zohar comments: “In the ultimate future,

the righteous will know Hashem in their hearts.”15 In the future, the Jewish

people will sweeten all judgments through the aspect of Yitzchak. The name

Yitzchak itself alludes to this sweetening, since the numerical value of Yitzchak

is 208—eight times twenty-six, the numerical value of the Shem HaVaYaH.

These eight Divine Names of ה"יהו allude to the five kindnesses which sweeten

the three judgments. These three judgments correspond to three of the four sons

which the Torah spoke of that are mentioned in the Hagadah. We sweeten these

three judgments through deep contemplation of, “through the spiritual aspect of

my flesh, I see G-d,” until we elevate ourselves above the physical and merit

dveikus.

But this is only possible through learning Torah, since without the Torah

it is impossible [to achieve or sustain] true dveikus to Hashem. It is only through

diligent study that a person can remove all of the material illusions and obstacles

from their physical nature so that they can cleave to Hashem.

The Mitigation of Judgments by Eliyahu

But the aspect of Yitzchak, the sweetening of these three judgments via

the five kindnesses, is not enough to bring the true redemption. We also need the

aspect of Eliyahu. The numerical value of the name Eliyahu is fifty-two and it

alludes to the aspect of the permutation of the Shem HaVaYaH which equals

14 Bereishis 25:19 15 Zohar I:135a


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fifty-two and alludes to Malchus. This is known as the ן"שם ב . [ ה "ו ה"ה ו"ד ה"יו

ו"אליה= 52= ]

The fifty-two of Eliyahu alludes to the remaining two judgments that

were not sweetened by Yitzchak [since each of the dinim parallels a Shem

HaVaYaH which has a numerical value of 26, and 2 x 26 = 52]. These two

judgments are personified by the wicked son of our hagadah. These additional

two hamtakos or “sweetenings” are all about tempering the apparently exclusive

physical nature of this world with spirituality. [The alluring physicality of our

material world is doubly hard to overcome, however, and this takes huge efforts.]

One does this through connecting to the spiritual essence of each limb [or

object], while bearing in mind its physical manifestation. This contemplative

process mitigates the dinim in the material plane so that even one’s physical self

is transformed into a vehicle for the spiritual, which is an aspect of Eliyahu [who

ascended to heaven with his physical body, in a heavenly chariot or vehicle].

Dveikus through Torah and Mitzvos

Rav Aharon of Strashele explained that Moshe’s request to enter the land

is meant to teach us that there are essentially two paths to avodah: through

learning Torah and through the physical fulfillment of mitzvos. The dveikus

afforded through Torah study is a connection that is completely removed from

the physical. One cleaves to Hashem through the aspect of, “from my soul, I see

G-d.” Although this is the path of unity with Hashem through deep

contemplation of the Shem HaVaYaH, it does not transform one’s very flesh into

a vehicle for the Divine. However, one who accepts the yoke of heaven by


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fulfilling physical mitzvos can ascend to the level where every sinew and limb is

a vehicle for Divine revelation.

The tzaddikim experience the overwhelming joy of connection with

Hashem, which is the path of Torah / Yitzchak, whose very name means

laughter. This is the intense delight that we will experience in the ultimate future.

As the verse states: "רנהולשוננו אז ימלא שחוק פינו" —“Then our mouths will be

filled with laughter, and our tongues with joyous song.”16 At the same time, the

tzaddikim never lose sight of the pathway of Eliyahu, which transforms the body

into a vehicle of holiness.

This second level of Eliyahu is discussed by the Arizal himself when he

teaches how one should connect to Hashem on each spiritual world. He teaches

that one must ascending in his thoughts while contemplating the unity of the

holy merkavah, the Divine chariot, until he makes all of his limbs and sinews a

vehicle for Divinity. Then he can fulfill the verse, "שכן בתוך בני ' כי אני ה

"ישראל —“For I am Hashem, who dwells within the children of Yisrael.”17 This

person also fulfills the verse, “And you who cleave to Hashem your G-d, each of

you are living this day.”18 This verse signifies that one should draw down the

revelation of dveikus even into the aspect of Elokim, “Hashem Elokeichem, your

G-d,” since the Name Elokim expresses the lower and most material aspects of

creation.

This is why Moshe asked to enter Eretz Yisrael. It is only in the holy land

that one can perform the physical mitzvos in a manner that will completely

16 Tehillim 126:2 17 Bamidbar 35:34 18 Devarim 4:4


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sweeten all judgments and reveal G-dliness even in the lowest aspects. Had

Moshe entered and accomplished this task, he would have brought the ultimate

redemption whose purpose is to reveal Hashem’s presence even in the lowest

level of physical reality.

This is the meaning of the double comfort that is afforded to us after our

double destruction: the double dveikus to Hashem available through Torah and

through mitzvos.

Unfortunately, the forces of evil wait in ambush to push people into

twofold sins. Their first aim is to cause a person to stumble into blemishing his

nefesh through profanity and the like, G-d forbid. Many people mistakenly

believe that such sins are no big deal, but the sad reality is that they leave a very

great blemish on the soul, as we see from the great punishment for this sin, as

discussed in [numerous sources, including] Shabbos 33. After causing us to fall

into forbidden speech, the evil within begins to work on us to correspondingly

negative action.

This is the exact inverse of the steps to the twin consolation of Torah and

through mitzvos. First we must live with the spiritual reality of Torah, and only

then can we become a physical vehicle for the Divine by assuming the yoke of

physical mitzvos.

Guarding Our Speech

A person who does not work on at least the first step of divesting himself

from materialism is forbidden to learn works of Kabbalah, since he will surely

invest the spiritual concepts that he learns with a false material identity.


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Speaking profanity leads to sinful deeds. Even if the person who speaks

does not fall to such actions themselves, the younger generation copy what they

hear, and they do act inappropriately because of it. When a person speaks in a

manner that is not in keeping with the honor of the King—since His precious

children should certainly not speak this way—he empowers the klippah of Pe’or,

which works to bring about our downfall through sin. [Pe’or means

“uncovering” and is the root of hefkeirus.]

This is so insidious and harmful! Hearing improper language from any

Jew, and especially from a young child or bochur, should make us feel

absolutely devastated. We should literally tear our garments and make a large

outcry on account of our having reached such low levels. When we see that there

are new and terrible decrees and children are lost to their parents, we should

search ourselves thoroughly to discover what failings within us have brought

about such terrible consequences.

It is especially important for one who wishes to be careful in his speech

to guard his eyes, since these blemishes cause evil speech. “Abba is the

foundation of the daughter / Malchus.” Abba / Chochmah is the aspect of sight,

while the “daughter” / Malchus is an aspect of speech. What one sees influences

what one says.

One must act with the holy gevuros of Yitzchak and Eliyahu, who was

truly zealous for the honor of Hashem. Although one must sweeten the harsh

judgments, this can only be done through engaging in holy judgments or gevuros

[by acting with self-restraint]. He must distance himself completely from every

unseemly sight both at home and while traveling. Even when in the company of


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others, if he hears that they speak in a way not in keeping with the holiness of a

Jew, he is obligated to separate himself from them until they do a true teshuvah.

The side of evil is always trying to instigate harsh decrees against the

Jewish people, and its main ammunition is found by pushing us into sin. The

only genuine way to combat this evil is through dveikus, through the holy vitality

of connection with Hashem—“You who cleave to Hashem are all alive this day.”

Through the dual path of dveikus in our innermost selves through Torah and the

outer elements through mitzvos, we will merit to overcome the forces of evil.

Since all of the Jewish people is a single organic whole, we all have a

responsibility to attain both aspects of dveikus. The claim that this is the task of

tzaddikim is false, since the verse clearly states that we are all righteous.19 But

until we really work to achieve dveikus, the wicked son will have free reign to

wreak havoc through the two lower gevuros, G-d forbid!

“She Who Rises from the Wilderness”

This is especially important during the month of Menachem Av. The

seven weeks of consolation parallel the seven lower sefiros of Atik encased in

Arich Anpin.

The Arizal explains that in the realm of Arich, Ze’ir Anpin and Nukvah

[the six lower sefiros from Chessed to Yesod, and the feminine aspect of

Malchus] stand on the exact same level [unlike in lower levels where Nukvah

only extends to the level of the “torso” of Ze’ir Anpin]. This is a yichud on the

level of HaVaYaH-Elokim and is the deeper meaning of the mitzvah to blow the

19 Yeshayah 60:21


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chatzotzros, the silver trumpets. The word חצוצרות is a contraction of the words,

half-forms.” [On a simple level this alludes to] the lower aspect of“ ,תצי צורות

י"מ Malchus, which is joined with the supernal aspect of / זאת , the fifty gates of

Binah in Imma. [These are likened to two halves of a whole because] this causes

a unification between the spiritual and physical duality, through such powerful

dveikus that even the physical becomes a medium for the spiritual. [So the two

broken halves of physical and spiritual are joined as one and made whole—the

two “half-forms” are joined.]

Dveikus through Torah is an aspect of the אני, the “I,” which alludes to

the aspect of אין—the state of nothingness of Arich Anpin. Reaching the inner

aspect of Atik, on the other hand, is symbolized by dveikus in mitzvos, even in

the outermost parts of a person. One who attains both of these levels can enter

Eretz Yisrael and attain absolute connection to Hashem.

There are very many who attain a level that parallels that of the Diaspora,

of chutz la’aretz. That is a deep feeling of closeness to Hashem through prayer

and learning Torah. But only the most righteous experience deep dveikus through

fulfilling each and every mitzvah. They feel a deep connection to Hashem every

time they put on their tallis or tefillin, which represent all mitzvos, since one

should long all day to crown Hashem with each and every mitzvah. [The tallis

here represents the garment one weaves through each mitzvah, and tefillin

represent the “crowning” of Hashem.]

It is incumbent on every Jew to strive to reach this level of feeling the

light and sweetness of every single mitzvah. We must wish with all our hearts to

achieve true connection to Hashem “face-to-face,” as our sages explain the


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verse: “This [which implies a direct connection] is Hashem in Whom we have

hoped.”20 The Vilna Gaon explains that the entire Torah was given on condition

that we fulfill it. We must work to merit the inner and outer yichudim to be found

in Torah and mitzvos.

But if we do not manage to guard ourselves well, Pe’or comes and

instigates all kinds of awful decrees against the Jewish people—Hashem protect

us from now on!

The first step in fighting its influence is to realize that there are no

concessions when it comes to holiness and personal purity. Every father must

pay careful attention to his children regarding these delicate yet essential areas of

spiritual development. It is our job to ensure that the children are not wandering

the streets where damaging philosophies and influences abound. We must also

do our utmost to ensure that our friends and neighbors are not drawn into such

evils. This is especially true today when the side of evil has drawn so many Jews

into sin through evil speech and sights. Such spiritual failings are literally the

cause of the continued destruction of the Beis Hamikdash.

The beginning of the rectification is achieved through the double

consolation of gazing at the holy words of Torah to counter the evil effects of

having seen the unseemly. But this is only in the merit of Moshe who begged

Hashem to enter Eretz Yisrael. Through his prayers he caused that no matter

where a person has fallen, he can pick himself up through experiencing the

vitality of bonding with Hashem. In addition, if one will only fulfill this verse, he

is protected from all evil and sin.

20 Yeshayah 25:9


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When the situation looks bleak we must never say that our troubles are a

mere coincidence. Instead, we must have mercy on our children and our

friends—and ourselves—and seek the real cause. This is especially important

regarding hardships that our family and friends experience, G-d forbid. We must

all do a deep soul-searching to repair what needs fixing, especially in areas of

personal purity since, “Their G-d hates licentiousness.”21

Let no person say that it is enough that he has kept himself pure; why

doesn’t he watch just as carefully over his family and friends? Like Yitzchak and

Eliyahu, he should help others and enable them to repair what they have

damaged, especially those closest to him.

This is especially true during these crucial days. If we do not do a

thorough search, what will become of us? On the other hand, one who has done

his best to discover his flaws must know that, “Hashem is not a tyrant.”22 All He

wants is that we do whatever we can.

We must work to sanctify ourselves and others to the best of our ability.

The Rectification of Tu B’Av

Parshas Va’eschanan is always read during the first of the seven weeks

of consolation, which corresponds to the Chesed of Atik which is encased in the

galgalta, the “skull” of Arich Anpin, which is the “housing” of the level of

Kesser within Arich Anpin. The Komarna Rebbe revealed that Kesser [כתר] in

Hebrew has a numerical value of 620 because it corresponds to the 613 Torah

commandments and the seven main rabbinic commandments.

21 Sanhedrin 93a 22 Avodah Zara 3a


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The Arizal taught that the Chessed of Atik is enrobed in the Chessed of

the “first day of creation,” and is known as “chessed d’kulah yomah,” the

kindness which is entirely of the day.23 This alludes to the whitening effect of

Atik on the galgalta of Arich. In our context this refers to the “whitening” or

purification of our mitzvos in action so that they are performed with absolute

dveikus. It is through this that the Shechinah rests on one’s physical self.

This is similar to the feeling that tzaddikim had in earlier times. When

they prayed they felt “as refined as pure oil”—they felt a deep connection to

Hashem in every aspect of their physical bodies. This came about through the

intense pleasure they took in their tallis and tefillin and all other mitzvos. This is

the level that we strive to reach on Tu B’Av. If we would only seek to feel the

wonderful connection to Hashem inherent in mitzvos, we would also merit this

great level on this most special day. On Tu B’Av, the three higher sefiros of Atik

are revealed. Hidden in this lofty level is the source of Malchus through which

one achieves a profound “face-to-face” connection with Hashem.24

Traditionally, the Jewish people would begin to expend greater efforts in

their Torah studies from Tu B’Av onward, as we find in Rabbeinu Chananel.

Through strengthening our learning, our inner connection gets stronger and we

are able to connect that much more in the outer levels of mitzvah observance—

which parallels Malchus, the bride. Through these efforts we merited that Tu

B’Av was celebrated as a holiday since we trusted that our dveikus would protect

us from future sin and our every action would stem from the pure “white”

23 Sha’ar Ma’amarei Rashbi 24 Taanis 31a


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intention to reveal Hashem’s Kingship in the world. [We see hints to this from

the tradition of matchmaking on that day, and the donning of white garments by

the “brides.”]

This is also the deeper meaning of the teaching of the Arizal that the first

three judgments are sweetened during the Shemonah Esrei prayer when we say,

"וקונה הכל" —that Hashem is the owner of all—and the final three are sweetened

when we throw ourselves down during Nefilas Apayim: "נפשי ' לדוד אליך ה

"אשא —“A psalm of Dovid: To You, Hashem, do I raise up my soul.”25 [This is

the Sephardic version of Tachanun, which follows the text in the Zohar.]

First we attain inner dveikus through our speech in Shemonah Esrei. Only

afterwards can we achieve dveikus even in our outermost being by casting

ourselves down bodily during Tachanun.

“Let Your Soul Know Wisdom”

This is the meaning of the phrase, "דעה חכמה לנפשך והיא כתר לראשך" —

“Let your soul (nefesh) know (d’ei) wisdom (Chochmah), and it will be a crown

(Kesser) for your head.”26 We must unite our innermost selves to Hashem

through speech which is an aspect of Malchus. One can purify his speech only if

he watches his eyes which are an aspect of Chcohmah. Through this, we access

the level of Kesser, which means connecting to Him through doing the mitzvos

propelled by a very powerful feeling of dveikus.

This lesson is especially relevant to Shabbos Nachamu which alludes to

Yitzchak Avinu, since his name has the same numerical value as Nachamu 25 Sha’ar Hakavanos, Nefilas Apayim, Derush 4 26 From the Shabbos zemer “D’ror Yikrah,” based on Mishlei 24:14.


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Nachamu.27 Through the aspect of Yitzchak, of Binah of Arich Anpin as

expressed through speech from the throat, one merits to fulfill the mitzvos with

passionate dveikus and make his whole body a vehicle for the Shechinah.

“Guard Your holy mitzvos”—by attaomomg the level of Yitzchak and

keeping the mitzvos with dveikus in an aspect of the light of Shabbos—“Guard

Your holy Shabbos”—will merit the ultimate redemption which is an aspect of

Shabbos28. Although it says that if the wicked son had been in Egypt he would

not have been redeemed, this is not true regarding the ultimate redemption. At

that time when we will merit a double consolation, and even the aspect of the

wicked son will be sweetened and rectified. We will attain true dveikus even in

the physical, and the most material elements will also be completely sanctifed.

Hashem should help us to arouse these great rectifications and truly merit

a double nechamah so that we will be forever free of the impure influence of

Pe’or. May we merit the ultimate rectification of Moshe when his fight with

Pe’or is completed through the aspects of Yitzchak and Eliyahu. We should

continuously work on this dual path until our powerful dveikus in Torah and

mitzvos leads Hashem to send us our righteous redeemer, speedily in our days.

Amen!

Translated and Adapted by Rav Micha Golshevsky.

Please feel free to send comments, questions, and any feedback to: [email protected] .

27 This is discussed in the writings of the Rama MiPano, the Bnei Yissaschar, and others. 28 See Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh on the verse Vishamru bnei Yisrael es HaShabbos.

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ואתחנן 5769

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