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Parshas Va'yeitzei

The secret of generating wealth: Learning Torah genuinely and holiness in marriage

Bereishis 29:11 "Ya'acov kissed Rachel…"

The entire episode of Ya'acov with Lavan the Aramean, from beginning to end, involves the idea of beirur ha'halachos (clarifying Jewish laws) in order to annul the opposition of opponents and contenders. From them stem the machlokes/strife and sinnas chinam/baseless hatred that caused the destruction of the Temple and that continues to dog and corrupt succeeding generations – with the resulting prolongation of the exile, due to our many sins.

All machlokes arises from the opposition that derives from learning Torah shelo lishmah/with ulterior motives, for the prospect of money and honor, viewed merely from the aspect of "the left". This gives its learners the capability to "speak falsehood about a tzaddik, with arrogance and contempt" (Tehillim 31:19) as Rebbe Nachman explains (Likutei Moharan I 12).

Consequently, Ya'acov exerted himself to extract wealth specifically from Lavan - for the fall of opponents and contenders, which correspond to Lavan, occurs through the wealth that derives from the "left" of the Torah. Unfortunately, due to our many sins, the sitra achara/incorporation of evil forces gets the upper hand in every single generation, allowing the opponents that correspond to Lavan to draw the wealth to them. Most wealth is under their control since they are the embodiment of the concept of the "left", where wealth lies.

In reality, however, the wealth and livelihood of the entire world stem only from the concept of Ya'acov, the Man of Truth – as reflected in the verse "Ya'acov was a perfect man" – the true tzaddik that learns Torah lishmah (with no ulterior motives), whose Torah is pure and unadulterated. It is only for the good of the general populace that he turns almost imperceptibly to the shelo lishmah, in order to draw livelihood and wealth to the world. There, at the root of the supply of wealth which the true tzaddik draws upon, wealth is pure and clean from the grasp of the sitra achara.

The opposite is true, however, when the unfitting, insincere lamdan (sharp Oral Law scholar) learns the Torah of the holy rabbis of the Mishnah, only turning to the "left" where the shelo lishmah is blemished greatly. When he learns, merely for self aggrandizement and contentiousness, to be called "Rebbe" or "Rav" only for wealth and money, utilizing the Torah as "a crown for his personal usage" – then wealth descends and drops to the sitra achara, G-d forbid. Wealth then generally ends up with the "outsiders" that represent the "left", the sitra achara of the non-Jewish world and resha'im.

All this stems from Adam's sin through his wife Chavah and the advice of ha'nachash ha'kadmoni (the primordial snake), who the Torah describes as "aroom mi'ko/ (more cunning) than all the beasts of the field" – where the description of aroom relates to Lavan the Arami/Aramean. He first enticed Chavah, who represents an aspect of the Oral Law, which corresponds to Rachel and the concept of the "G-d fearing woman" (Proverbs 31). This is the aspect of Chavah that corresponds to speech, relating to the Oral Law and "night after night speaks wisdom" (Tehillim 19). And the ram'ai/deceitful one, the snake, incited her "to reveal aspects of the Torah, not in accord with halachah", to permit eating from the Tree of Good and Evil. Thus it states (Bereishis 3:4): "You will surely not die", whereupon he pushed her until she touched the tree, learning and teaching her a deceitful binyan av (comparative cases) halachic argument: "Just as touching doesn't carry the death penalty, so it is with eating".

Now we already know clearly that all wealth is drawn via the woman. The woman is conceptually related to the left relative to her husband (who corresponds to the right) and it is there that wealth lies – and one must "subsume the left within the right" in order to rectify everything, as is known. Therefore the tzaddik clarifies and elevates all the halachos/laws that are the Oral Law to the aspect of chibbuk, nishuk and zivvug (embracing, kissing and joining/marriage partner - kabbalistic concepts of divine closeness reflected in aspects of the marital relationship), as explained elsewhere (L.M. I 12). All the unifications of the true tzaddikim and their physical relations are drawn from there, corresponding to the zivvug of Ya'acov and Rachel and the nishukin/kisses concept of "Ya'acov kissed Rachel".

Now, regarding someone that is not a tzaddik and is inclined to physical desires – according to the degree of his inclination, so is his corresponding drop to the "left". Through this, all his Torah learning is also to the "left". Consequently, his entire rectification is only through the great and true tzaddik that corresponds to Ya'acov, who is pure and totally holy from this desire: Whether with his zivvug or whether with his Torah study – his entire intention is only for the sake of heaven, to arouse Supernal zivvugin and nishukin, as in "Ya'acov kissed Rachel".

However, the snake incited Chavah to the point of inciting Man, turning him away and falling to the "left", to physical desire. Thus Chazal inform us that Adam caused a sexual blemish that resulted in him revealing Torah "not in accord with halachah", corresponding to eating from the tree of Good and Evil. That's why the curse was specifically in livelihood, as it states (3:17) "You shall eat in toil", because the main blemish reaches livelihood that is drawn from the concept of "left".

Hilchos Reishis Ha'geiz 5:3

Parshas Toldos

Don't be too hard on yourself

Bereishis 25:28: "Yitzchak loved Esav – for he was a smooth talker (lit: a trapper with his mouth)" [Rashi: "He would entrap and deceive his father, asking seemingly righteous questions like: 'Dad, how do you tithe salt and straw?' "]

We can't conduct our activities only with tzedakah and chessed chinam/unqualified 'good' [adopting a carefree, lackadaisical attitude] – for then we wouldn't do anything! We would just do whatever we felt like and rely on Hashem's "good nature". This is not the way of the holy Torah.

On the other hand, we can't act only in accord with din and mishpat (strict justice), either. The entire world cannot exist on din alone, as our Rabbis have taught – and as we understand from our own experience. Many people have dropped spiritually, thereby becoming distanced from Hashem, through excess usage of din and mishpat. They become too hard on themselves, telling themselves that they have "no chance" anymore because they are such sinners, having transgressed and messed the world up so much.

The truth is – what difference does it make even if they are right about their self evaluation? They are still obliged to trust in Hashem's unending chassadim/loving kindnesses and mercies! There is always, always, hope – every day, every hour and every single moment of a person's life, never mind what he is, whatever he has done – for "the loving kindnesses of Hashem never exhaust". And so King Solomon wrote: "Do not be overly righteous and do not be overly wicked", which Chazal explain means that "if you are somewhat bad, do not make yourself worse". And even if he has really become a wicked person, G-d forbid, nevertheless he must not go even further in his wickedness. And however much he is able to reduce his wickedness, even a little, will surely be for his eternal good. In addition, through this he will be able to fully return to Hashem, because ein shoom yi'oosh b'olam k'lal – despair does not exist in the world at all! For Hashem's measure of good far outweighs His measure of punishment. If He watches and is observant of every single detail when a person has made a spiritual blemish or transgressed (as it states: "If a person would hide himself away – would I not see him?" and "from his place of rest he watches…he knows all their actions"), how much more is this true in regard to the measure of good: Not even a slight movement of good is lost from the world.

Consequently, it is true that it expresses the klippah (evil) of Yishma'el when a person adopts a laissez-faire attitude, relying only on chessed chinam and totally casting off the yoke of Torah and mitzvos, G-d forbid – because the klippah of Yishma'el issued from Avraham, whose main characteristic was chessed. The opposite is also true. There is an expression of the klippah of Esav when someone is too hard on himself with din and mishpat, adopting laborious chumros/stringencies and hamaros shechoros that overburden him. This corresponds to the klippah of Esav that issued from Yitzchak, whose dominant characteristic was din. This finds expression in Esav's enquiry, asking his father how to tithe straw and salt – excessive chumros. Sometimes excessive chumros are also a big blemish (as explained elsewhere).

Rather, quintessential perfection is found with the perfect blend of mishpat and tzedakah. This corresponds to Ya'acov, as in "mishpat and tzedakah is with Ya'acov". That is why "the bed of Ya'acov was perfect" [no negative progeny issuing from him].

Hilchos Metanah 5:37-38

Parshas Chayei Sarah

Paying for holiness

Translated by R. Dov Grant

Bereishis 23:9 "Let him [Effron] give me the me'aras ha'machpeilah/double cave…for its full value"

Avraham had no desire to receive the me'aras ha'machpeilah (the future "Cave of the Patriarchs") as a gift from Effron, as the verse states "let him give [it] to me…for its full value" – because of the great power of the holiness of the place.

The klippos (the incorporation of evil forces) greatly surrounded the me'aras ha'machpeilah when it was in Effron's possession, causing it to be deeply dark. It was impossible to release it from these forces as a free gift; rather the full amount had to be paid. For the rule is that it is impossible to elevate holiness without payment – especially holiness as great as that associated with the me'aras ha'machpeilah.

The 400 shekels of kessef/silver that Avraham paid for the cave hints to [the kabbalistic concept of] "the 400 worlds of kissufin/yearning", as described in the Zohar. Avraham's money was very holy, revealing all the gevanim ila'in/Supernal Colors that represent the greatness of the Creator, which is the concept of the 400 worlds of kissufin that the tzaddikim delight in. They relate to the incorporation of all the holy gevanim that all desire and delight to gaze at.

This is the explanation of the verse (ibid. 16): "Avraham weighed out to Effron…400 internationally acceptable shekels of silver". The medium used in commerce and trade in every country is kessef/silver/money, as reflected by the verse "kessef answers everything". This is because kessef incorporates all the gevanim ila'in that incorporates all the 400 worlds of kissufin, which correspond to the 400 shekels of kessef.

It was with this force that Avraham purchased the me'aras ha'machpeilah from Effron – by revealing the greatness of the Creator through his 400 shekel of kessef, which incorporated all the gevanim, etc. This subjugated the klippos that had held a tight grip there, causing them to fall away and disappear. The field and cave then spiritually ascended and passed into Avraham's possession, as the verse states (ibid. 17): "Ve'yakam [lit: arose] the field of Effron", as Rashi explains "it received a rise [in importance] when it passed from a commoner to a king". This all occurred through the revelation of the gevanim in the kessef of Avraham.

One thing is for sure. Effron never got to enjoy any of those gevanim. These gevanim, representing those 400 worlds of yearning, disappeared from the money as soon as it reached Effron's [spiritually grubby] hands.

Hilchos Metanah 4-11

Parshas Va'yeira

1. Grab a mitzvah – it's eternal

Bereishis 18:2 "And he [Avraham] saw [that the visitors didn't want to trouble him] and he ran towards them…and prostrated himself earthwards"

Enthusiasm is related to simchah/joy (see Likutei Moharan 155). Thus Chazal tell us that it is a mitzvah to run to the synagogue – or to any mitzvah matter – as it states (Tehillim) "I was joyful when they said to me 'let's go to the House of Hashem'.

In fact, if we would look honestly at life's ultimate purpose, we would certainly run with great joy and enthusiasm to the synagogue, or any mitzvah, when the opportunity presented itself to us. This constitutes all our vitality and eternal hope; everything else is futility and nonsense. Ultimately, nothing remains from anything else – not from wealth, or from the constraint of poverty and destitution; not from any of the earthly desires, honor, jealousy, hate and fastidiousness. This is as the verse states: "He cannot take everything on his demise" and "their love, jealousy and hate have already gone".

The only thing that will remain will be the bit of good that we manage to snatch – going to the synagogue, to the study hall or to perform some mitzvah. And so there is no question that all of us are obligated to run with great fervor and joy to perform a mitzvah. And someone that knows he is very far from Hashem – he really ought to be happy when doing a mitzvah, in the knowledge that even he, who is so far from spirituality, merits the opportunity to perform a mitzvah.

This is the meaning of "and he [Avraham] saw", where Rashi explains that 'saw' refers to understanding. This means that Avraham understood life's purpose. This is what led him to 'run towards them' – from the simchah of the mitzvah, which is the main elevation of holiness from the klippos (incorporation of evil).

It is then that "he prostrated himself earthwards" – expressing bittul/self-abnegation, subsuming himself within the light of the Ein Sof/Infinite One. All prostration is related to bittul. Thus Avraham fell to the ground with outstretched hands and legs, negating all his emotions from the greatness of the pure light that was revealed to him. This arose from the simchah expressed by "he ran towards them". From that act he attained the oros ha'tzach'tzachos/pure lights, which relate to the concept of prostration.

Then Avraham requested from Hashem (verse 3): "please do not pass away from your servant". Avraham's intention was that Hashem should not remove His revelation from him until a suitable imprint had been left. In fact, all of us need to ensure that spiritual revelation does not pass away too quickly, until an effective impression has been made that will serve to eternally vitalize us. Avraham expressed this in the subsequent verse "please take some water" – an allusion to drawing on the outpouring of bounty. He was in effect asking the revelation should not pass away from him until he could draw bounty from there.

Hilchos Ishus 4-19

2. The avodah of eating

Bereishis 18:5 "I shall take bread and you can feast your hearts…"

Avraham gave food to the angels that visited him. He did this in order to show the angels that they should not denounce the Jewish people, despite the fact that the Jewish people that wanted to receive the Torah would later sin. [The Midrash Rabbah (Shemos 28) relates that when Moshe ascended to heaven to receive the Torah, the ministering angels sought to hurt him. Hashem prevented them by making Moshe's face resemble that of Avraham. He then rebuked them saying: "Hey – you ate at his place!"]. For at the time that the angels visited Avraham, there had already started a certain initial "sparkling" of the giving of the Torah, owing to Avraham's circumcision – the first mitzvah in it. Further, they came to announce the birth of Yitzchak – from who would descend all the Jewish people that would receive the Torah.

Thus Avraham attempted to ward off the angels' attack and save the Jewish people, despite their shortcomings. Avraham did this by giving food to the angels, so that they would understand the suffering that man undergoes in this world; that man must eat and conduct such disgusting clarifications – to clarify from the waste matter, within his body. Thus, there should be no criticism of man if he should fall – no matter how much he should fall – since he is forced to be in such filthy places, clarifying real vomit and excrement.

Consequently, the Midrash Rabbah relates that even though the angels that visited Avraham actually ate with great holiness, as befitting their elevated status, nevertheless they did not leave totally "clean". They dropped in their perfection to the extent that they were required to delay in this world, unable to start their ascent heavenwards until the days of Ya'acov; one of them could not ascend until the time of Manoach. The reason for their fall: It is very difficult to leave this world squeaky clean. After an angel descends to this world he can only return to his previous exalted position after immersing a number of times in the Dinur river.

The main extraction of good from the squalor in this world is related to the concept of eating, since the principle squalor attained its grip through the sin of Adam's eating. Therefore, Avraham honored the angels through eating, hinting to them the great amount of toil and bitterness that wretched man must suffer in this world. In this way, the angels no longer have cause to oppose the Jewish people receiving the Torah. For we certainly must be given the Torah, since it is impossible to withstand this world without the Torah that is termed "eating of holiness".

Therefore, when the angels wanted to oppose Moshe on his ascent to heaven, Hashem formed the features of Moshe like Avraham and said to them: "You ate at his home!" Hashem in effect was answering them: "How have you the gall to oppose giving the Torah in such a world? You ate at his home! You tasted a little bit of what man has to suffer in this world, the extent of which is impossible to bear without Torah, as it states (Tehillim 119:92) 'If Your Torah had not been my preoccupation'".

Hence when Manoach wanted to honor the angel that appeared to him, the angel replied that he no longer wanted to eat more (Shoftim 13:16): "If you detain me, I shall not eat of your food". Since the time had already arrived for him to ascend heavenwards, he didn't want to eat any more so that he would no longer be delayed – for he had already got a taste of the great difficulty involved in the clarification process of eating when he was with Avraham. That experience had been responsible for his great delay until now. This is the meaning of the verse (ibid. 19): "u'mafli la'asos/he performed a miracle" on the return to his place. This return was truly by way of a great wonder, since it is difficult for an angel to ascend and return to his previous place, to clean himself from the world's impurity. This is the reason that our Rabbis included in the blessing of asher yotzar (said after executing ones needs) the words "u'mafli la'asos". For this act of clarification is truly a great wonder.

Hilchos Betzias Ha'pas 5-59

Parshas Lech Lecha

1. Overcoming a negative upbringing

Bereishis 12:1 "Go, for your own sake, from your land and from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you"

Many kinds of dark and false situations derive from the [nature of the] land and city in which they arise. For, despite the fact that every place contains much in the way of good, in the sense of truth – nevertheless, ha'klippah kadmah le'pri (the peel/evil precedes the fruit/good) and zeh l'umas zeh bara Elokim ("G-d created one [evil] in contrast to the other [good]"). Therefore, every place contains its own particular negativity, seeking to darken the light of truth in its own special way.
Similarly, there are types of darkness and falsehood that attach to a person as a result of certain birth [genetic] factors, as David said (Tehillim 51:7): "I was fashioned [from conception] in iniquity…"
In addition, all kinds of nonsense and falsehood attach to a person because of his family status. Thus, some people over inflate themselves with their important lineage. They conduct themselves with such gross self import, as if the entire world's honor belongs to them alone.

Whoever wants to walk the holy path must go, exit and turn – from the path of everyone else. He must draw himself to the point of absolute truth that is rooted within his soul that is 'a portion of G-d on high', the quintessence of truth. For the soul is man's essence. When a person says "me" or "mine" or "yours", he is really referring to man's essence, the soul, not the body that is merely flesh and blood.

This explains the verse: "Hashem spoke to Avram: 'Go, for your own sake (lit: for yourself)…". It is specifically "for yourself", for your very essence, which is none other than the point of absolute truth that is rooted within you. And this is the meaning of "from your land, birthplace and father's house": We need to turn our back and completely pass away from all the falsehood, lies and confusion – in all their configurations – that seek to lay hold of us. This applies whether or not they derive their character from our place of domicile, or from birth/genetic factors, or from our particular lineage.
We just need to draw ourselves to the point of absolute truth [within ourselves]. Then we will attain the eternal goal [the next world] that corresponds to "the land that I will show you".

Hilchos Geneivah 5:7

2. Searching for Hashem through the darkness

Bereishis 12:17 "And Hashem plagued Paroh and his palace with great afflictions because of Sarai, Avram's wife".

The incident of Sarai being taken to Paroh's palace expresses the following idea: The tzaddekes/righteous woman was required descend to such an impure and filthy place in order that, with her tremendous spiritual power, even in such a place she would request and search after Hashem.
It was through this that she ascended mightily with Avraham – as in (13:1): "Avram went up from Egypt, he and his wife…" – preparing a tremendous rescue for the Jewish people during the future Egyptian exile – that the impurity of Egypt had no control over the Jewish people. It also caused their exit from Egypt by way of the ten plagues, by way of the precursor of "Hashem plagued Paroh and his palace" after taking Sarah there, as Chazal teach us.

Sarah created a path for the Jewish people that wherever they would find themselves in exile, even in the spiritually filthiest places – even there – they would request and search for Hashem. This is the concept of ayeh/where [is the place of His glory] in Likutei Moharan II: 12. Through this the Jewish people were extricated from there.

This also is the idea behind Esther having been taken to Achashveirosh's palace. It was then [in such a desperate situation] that she [sought after Hashem and] exclaimed (Tehillim 22): "My
G-d! My G-d! Why have you forsaken me?" (as the Gemara states in Megillah 15b). And it was through this that the toppling of Haman – the personification of the polluted might of the sitra achara/incorporation of evil forces – was engineered. Everything here also reflects the above idea: Showing the Jewish people that even in the filthiest places they must cry out to Hashem, searching and beseeching Him. This is precisely what Mordechai and Esther did when they assembled the Jews to greatly cry out to Hashem.

So it is in every generation, as it applies to the populace at large – or to the individual in particular. Every single one of us must constantly search for Hashem in every situation, crying out at all times to Hashem as expressed in the verse (Yonah 2:3) "from the belly of Hell I cried out". We must never despair of crying out and beseeching. We must continue until Hashem looks and attends to us from heaven.

Hilchos Nefilas Apayim 6-9

Parshas Noach

Why meat was eaten in Noach's time

Bereishis 6:12 "…all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth"

Shechitah only began from the time of Noach. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 59b) tells us that man was not permitted to kill animals for food from Adam until Noach. This is because everything in creation was holy before Adam's sin. Evil held no sway even over the animals and beasts and so they required no shechitah. It was completely forbidden to slaughter any soul and eat it, since it had no need of tikkun/spiritual rectification.
Tikkun was only required when everything fell into the grip of evil – after Adam's sin. Nevertheless, the tikkun did not start until Noach. It was he that started the tikkun of the world that had been damaged by Adam, as it states (5:29): "…this one will comfort us…from the earth that Hashem had cursed [on account of Adam]". The rebuilding of the world from scratch and its tikkun took place through him. For the entire world reached the nadir of its degradation during his time, as it says (6:12): "G-d beheld that the earth had become corrupt…" and the Mabul/Great Flood was required to destroy it.

All this arose from pe'gam ha'bris/blemishing the covenant/sexual sins, which was the start of the sin of Adam (mentioned by us elsewhere). During Noach's time the world reached the lowest level of pe'gam ha'bris, as it states (ibid.): "...all flesh had corrupted its way…" Chazal tell us (Sanhedrin 108a, etc.) that the blemish had reached even the animals and beasts – even they had 'corrupted their way'. For everything depends on the actions of Man, the exerciser of free choice. The entire world depends on him. The effect of his pe'gam reaches even to the animals and beasts, until even they 'corrupted their way'. Chazal tell us (Midrash Shmuel 12) that even at the time of Adam's sin, all sorts of animals and beasts tasted from the Tree of Knowledge.

And so a new world and tikkun needed to be established – to make an ark, in which all would enter, to bring in everything, elevate them from "the outside" {forces of evil] and gather all to their rooms in the ark – a tikkun of holiness. This is mentioned in the holy Zohar – that the main establishment of the world and its tikkun depended on the ark. The entire Creation needed to come, specifically to the ark. For the ark, as it relates to the concept of home, corresponds to teshuvah/returning and tikkun for the entire world that went to "the outside", to the "saddeh/field".

Therefore the tikkun of the world took place only after their exit from the ark. It was at that time that Noach offered sacrifices from all the pure species that correspond to the concept of tikkun ha'bris. And it was at that time that Hashem permitted Man to eat meat, as it says (9:3): "I give you everything [to eat], as green herbs". For now Man needed to eat meat, in order to effect the tikkun of the animals and elevate them accordingly. Thus the tikkun of shechitah started then. For at that time when all had become blemished, prompting the start of the tikkun, shechitah was needed for the purpose of eating and rectification. And all this was required to rectify the pe'gam ha'bris, which had been the sin of the generation of the Mabul, and Adam, the first man.

Related to this is the fact that fish do not require shechitah. They had not become blemished by the sin of the Mabul generation. Consequently, the Mabul had no power over them and they had no need to enter the ark at all, as Chazal explain (Sanhedrin ibid.) that the verse (7:23): "…of all that was on the dry land, died" comes to exclude the fish in the sea. The fish didn't die because they were unaffected by the sin of the Mabul generation, as it states (6:12): "all flesh had corrupted its way upon the ground" – upon the ground, but not in the sea. And so fish do not require the tikkun of shechitah that is an aspect of tikkun ha'bris – for fish had not blemished with pe'gam ha'bris.

And so fish represent an aspect of tikkun ha'bris/sexual rectification, as it says (48:16): "…may they [Ephraim and Menasheh] greatly reproduce/vayidgu" [related to dag/fish – see Rashi there]. For the natural habitat of the fish is in water. This protects them from pe'gam ha'bris, because pe'gam ha'bris reaches the aspect of affar/earth, related to "all flesh had corrupted its way upon the ground" – the blemish reaches the ground, as in (3:17) "…the earth is cursed for you…"
However, the concept of water is holy and pure. Blemish does not reach water, for water corresponds to da'as elyon/Supernal knowledge and chassadim gedolim/great acts of loving kindness. On the contrary, water purifies all spiritual impurity and contamination; no blemish affects it. Blemish only affects that which relates to affar – particularly the blemish of pe'gam ha'bris, whose root is from affar and which is the last aspect and vessel of everything in the world, on which everything stands.

Therefore, over the fish in the sea – that are covered by water – the ayin ha'ra/"evil eye" of the seventy nations has no power. Thus, fish were not blemished by the sin of the Mabul generation, the pe'gam ha'bris, and require no shechitah.

Hilchos Basar She'nit'alem Min Ha'ayin 2-6