.
Parshas Vayeishev – Yud-Tes Kislev
1. It is known what the Shelah writes on our parshah1: that all the festivals of the year are connected, in their content, with the portions of the Torah that are read at the times when those festivals occur — including also the festivals that began long after the parshiyos were given.
It is therefore understood, regarding the festival*2 of Yud-Tes Kislev, which this year (and in most years3) falls in the week of Parshas Vayeishev4, that the content of Yud-Tes Kislev is connected with, and alluded to in, Parshas Vayeishev5.
At first glance, however, not only do we not find that the content of the parshah has any connection with the theme of Yud-Tes Kislev; on the contrary, the parshah seems to be, in its content, the very opposite of Yud-Tes Kislev:
Yud-Tes Kislev is the day on which "חופשה ניתנה לו" ("freedom was granted to him") — to the Alter Rebbe — and the day of redemption of the teachings of Chassidus, as is known and widely publicized. In the parshah, by contrast, it speaks of "תחילת סיבת ירידת ישראל למצרים" ("the beginning of the cause of Israel's descent to Egypt")6, beginning with Yaakov Avinu sending Yosef "מעמק חברון" ("from the valley of Chevron")7, and the events that followed, up to Yosef's sale and his being "הורדה למצרים" ("brought down to Egypt")8, which led to "הוריד לאבינו יעקב למצרים" ("bringing our father Yaakov down to Egypt") — in the words of the Midrash9, which brings the parable: "לפרה שהיו מושכין אותה למקולין ולא היתה נמשכת מה עשו לה משכו את בנה לפניה והיתה מהלכת אחריו על כרחה שלא בטובתה כך הי' יעקב אבינו ראוי לירד למצרים בשלשלאות ובקולרין אמר הקב"ה בני בכורי ואני מורידו בבזיון כו' אלא הריני מושך את בנו לפניו והוא יורד אחריו על כרחו שלא בטובתו" ("[It is like] a cow that they were pulling to the slaughterhouse, and it would not be drawn. What did they do to it? They pulled its calf before it, and it went after it against its will, not willingly. So too, Yaakov Avinu was fit to go down to Egypt in chains and iron collars. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'My firstborn son — shall I bring him down in disgrace?... Rather, I will draw his son before him, and he will go down after him against his will, not willingly'")10.
2. The connection and relationship between them can be explained on the basis of what is known: that the Egyptian exile was not a punishment11; on the contrary — its purpose was "ואחרי כן יצאו ברכוש גדול" ("and afterwards they shall go out with great wealth")12 in its plain sense, materially, and also spiritually: the Egyptian exile prepared the Jewish people so that "(בהוציאך את העם גו') תעבדון את האלקים על ההר הזה" ("(when you bring the people out...) you shall serve G‑d upon this mountain") — to be able to receive the Torah at Mattan Torah13.
This idea — that exile is not a matter unto itself, but rather the entire intent and goal of exile is the elevation that comes through the redemption (from that exile)14 — was openly evident in the case of Yosef, as is also related in the plain meaning of Scripture: the sale of Yosef and his descent to Egypt came about (to the physical eye) through the undesirable intention of Yosef's brothers15; but afterwards the truth and purpose of the matter was revealed: "למחיה שלחני אלקים לפניכם גו' לשום לכם שארית בארץ ולהחיות לכם לפליטה גדולה ועתה לא אתם שלחתם אותי הנה כי האלקים גו'" ("For sustenance G‑d sent me before you... to make for you a remnant in the land and to keep you alive for a great deliverance. And now, it was not you who sent me here, but G‑d...")16.
And so the Midrash emphasizes on "יוסף הורד מצרימה" ("Yosef was brought down to Egypt")17: "כבשון המד"א וירד מים עד ים, שלט בהון המד"א כי הוא רודה בכל עבר הנהר" ("He conquered them18 — as it says, 'May he rule (veyerd) from sea to sea'19; he ruled over them — as it says, 'For he dominated (rodeh) all the region beyond the river'")20.
"He conquered them" and "dominated" are derived from the expression "brought down (hurad) to Egypt" — the intent and goal21 of the descent was that Yosef should become the conqueror and ruler, the viceroy in Egypt, without whom "לא ירים איש את ידו ואת רגלו" ("no man shall lift up his hand or his foot")22.
The same applies to the arrest and redemption of Yud-Tes Kislev: the arrest was not a separate matter, after which the redemption came; rather, the redemption was the purpose of the arrest itself. As the Rebbe (Rashab) of blessed memory said23: although it is difficult to say so, nevertheless it is so, that the revelation that came after Petersburg was in the manner of the saying of our Sages24, "הזית כשכותשין אותו מוציא שמנו" ("The olive, when it is crushed, yields its oil"). From the parable the analogue is understood — "when it is crushed" is entirely, from the outset, for the sake of "yields its oil." And as the Rebbe [Rashab] of blessed memory continues: "כן ע"י הקיטרוגים שהיו בפ"ב נתגלה הפנימיות דוקא כו' ועיקר הכוונה הי' בגילוי הפנימיות דוקא" ("So too, through the accusations that took place in Petersburg, the inner dimension specifically was revealed... and the main intent was the revelation of the inner dimension specifically")25.
And as is known26, it was (after) Yud-Tes Kislev that the matter of "יפוצו מעיינותיך חוצה" ("your wellsprings shall spread outward") principally began — the enclothing of G‑dliness in intellectual comprehension.
So too was the accomplishment of Yud-Tes Kislev with regard to the nations of the world, the ministers of the government: the arrest led to the result that "שמו ... נתגדל ונתקדש ... בעיני כל השרים ... וענו ואמרו על זאת כי אם מאת ה' היתה זאת היא נפלאת בעינינו" ("His Name... was magnified and sanctified... in the eyes of all the ministers... and they responded and said27 concerning this: 'This was indeed from G‑d; it is wondrous in our eyes'")28, and they granted freedom and permission to disseminate the inner dimension of the Torah, the teachings of Chassidus.
3. Nevertheless, it is not yet entirely smooth: ultimately, Parshas Vayeishev speaks, openly, of Yosef's descent to Egypt etc., up to his being in prison29 — and the good and benefit that came from Yosef's being brought down to Egypt is revealed (related) only afterwards, in the later portions of the Torah. This is unlike the redemption that actually took place on Yud-Tes Kislev.
We must therefore say that in our parshah, too, there is a theme and content of redemption.
This will be understood by first explaining the words of the Midrash cited above. From the fact that our Sages say that the matter of "he conquered them" is alluded to in the very words "ויוסף הורד מצרימה" ("And Yosef was brought down to Egypt") — "as it says, 'May he rule from sea to sea'" — it is understood that Yosef's descent to Egypt did not merely lead later to "he conquered them" (to his becoming viceroy, when he actually became the ruler over them), with this being the goal of the "brought down to Egypt"; rather, even more: both matters stand in the very same word hurad ("hurad" — descent, and "hurad" in the sense of "veyerd, rodeh" — rulership). At the time of the descent, at that very moment, there was "veyerd, rodeh," "he conquered them" —
— although these are, seemingly, opposite matters.
We must also understand: in the Midrash there, another interpretation of "And Yosef was brought down to Egypt" is then brought — "הוריד את השכינה (כביכול) למצרים עמו כו' מנא לן שירדה השכינה עמו מדכתיב ויהי ה' את יוסף" ("He brought the Shechinah (as it were) down to Egypt with him... From where do we know that the Shechinah descended with him? From what is written30, 'And G‑d was with Yosef'").
And since, as is known, all the interpretations of one and the same word are connected with one another, we must say that this interpretation, too, is connected with the earlier interpretation of "hurad" — "he conquered them."
4. The explanation of this: in redemption and deliverance from exile there are three modes31:
Deliverance by way of war — one fights the adversary until one overpowers and defeats him. This redemption and deliverance is not a complete one, for one must use his (at least — similar) weapons32, tactics of war etc., until — "דם לרב שפכת" ("you have shed much blood")33 — until it becomes "krav" (battle) — meaning that they come close (miskarvim) to one another etc.34 —
and, in the language of Chassidus, one lowers oneself "into the garments of that which is being refined"35 in order to fight it; this must bring about a descent — "כל מלבושי אגאלתי" ("all my garments I have stained")36. Consequently, even after the victory and the redemption, it is still not a complete redemption; there still remains the "I have stained" etc.;
A higher mode of redemption is deliverance in peace: one finds oneself in a state of deliverance and redemption because one's strength is so great that "נבהלו אלופי אדום גו' תפול עליהם אימתה ופחד" ("the chiefs of Edom were terrified... fear and dread fell upon them")37. One stands entirely above the adversary — and certainly there is no connection of closeness (krav).
[Its parallel in Divine service is the matter of Torah, which does not become enclothed in the world, but rather "הלא כה דברי כאש מה אש אינו מקבל טומאה אף דברי תורה אינן מקבלין טומאה" ("'Behold, My word is like fire' — just as fire does not contract impurity, so too words of Torah do not contract impurity")38.]
But in this mode of deliverance, too, the chiefs of Edom remained in their strength in their place — so it is possible that afterwards there will be "ולאם מלאם יאמץ" ("and one nation shall prevail over the other")39, "when this one rises, [the other falls]"40.
Although the person is in a state of complete redemption, this is only in that within him there is no room for the adversary — for exile; but in the "place" of exile itself, no redemption has taken place;
The highest mode is that (although there is a descent into the place and domain of the adversary (to the point of an enclothement in exile), nevertheless it is not merely that the exile does not bring about "I have stained" (a true descent); on the contrary:) the exile itself is transformed into a state of redemption. Then this is a complete redemption, which leaves no room at all for the adversary and for exile.
This is the meaning of the verse41 "פדה בשלום נפשי מקרב לי" ("He redeemed my soul in peace42 from the battle against me") — that although it is a state of "battle against me," of a war that comes by way of enclothement in exile, nevertheless the deliverance is in a manner of "peace"43;
because the deliverance comes from a level where the entire category of exile does not exist, and therefore it brings about that the exile itself becomes* a matter of "redemption"44.
5. The three modes of redemption mentioned above also correspond to the three modes of Divine service — (a) the Shevatim (the tribes), (b) the Avos (the Patriarchs), (c) Yosef45:
The Shevatim were shepherds, in seclusion, being in the field46, separated from the world, so that worldly matters would not disturb their attachment (deveikus) to G‑dliness.
In the inner dimension of the matter: at the level of the Shevatim (the "lower chariot"), the world occupies a place; consequently, had they descended and occupied themselves with worldly matters, they could not have remained at their level of attachment to G‑dliness in the manner of a chariot47.
At the level of the Avos (the "higher chariot"), even while being in the world, they are not enclothed in the world, and therefore worldly matters do not confuse their attachment to G‑d48.
Higher than that is the level of service of Yosef49: on the one hand, he was enclothed in worldly matters, for being in Egypt he had a "טרדה גדולה ועצומה ביותר" ("great and exceedingly immense preoccupation")50 —
and all the more so, a fortiori, when he became "king"50 over Egypt, as it is written51, "על פיך ישק כו' רק הכסא כו' ומבלעדיך לא ירים איש כו'" ("By your command shall [all my people] be ruled... only by the throne [will I be greater than you]... and without you no man shall lift up..."), and especially when he was the one who "השביר בר לכל עם הארץ שהי' עסקו עם כל העולם כו'" ("sold50 grain52 to all the people of the land, so that his dealings were with the entire world...");
And so it was with him earlier too, from the time of his descent to Egypt — being a servant to Potiphar, the chief butcher, he was occupied with Potiphar's affairs; and also afterwards, when he was confined in the prison, since "ויתן שר בית הסוהר ביד יוסף את כל האסירים אשר בבית הסוהר ואת כל אשר עושים שם הוא הי' עושה" ("The prison warden placed in Yosef's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he would do")53 —
and nevertheless, all these preoccupations did not confuse his attachment to G‑d, and even while occupied with them he was "מרכבה ממש לאלקות" ("an actual chariot for G‑dliness")54.
For in him there shone the G‑dly light that is entirely above the world55, from the standpoint of which it is not even relevant to say that the world does not occupy a place. Therefore the mode of service could be by way of enclothement in the world, and nevertheless this did not confuse the attachment; the attachment to G‑dliness is felt even in the worldly matters in which one is enclothed, so that within the world itself the G‑dliness56 that is above the category of the world is felt.
And so we find with Yosef: being a servant to Potiphar, "וירא אדוניו כי ה' אתו וכל אשר הוא עושה ה' מצליח בידו" ("His master saw that G‑d was with him, and that G‑d made all that he did prosper in his hand")57 — in the very "place" where Potiphar is "his master," there itself that same "master" saw "that G‑d was with him." And also afterwards, being a prisoner in the prison, "ויהי ה' את יוסף ויט אליו חסד ויתן חנו בעיני שר בית הסוהר" ("G‑d was with Yosef, and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the eyes of the prison warden")58 — this was felt even by the prison warden, where Yosef was a prisoner!
6. Based on the above, we will also understand what the Midrash says on "Yosef was brought down to Egypt" — "he conquered them... may he rule from sea to sea" — and the connection of this matter with the interpretation (of "hurad") "he brought the Shechinah down with him":
Through the fact that "Yosef was brought down to Egypt" in the plain sense, and also spiritually — he underwent the descent and enclothement in Egypt — while being there, in his descent, he remained in his G‑dly essence ("he brought the Shechinah down with him"); with the descent itself, the "he conquered them" was brought about.
For when Yosef arrives in Egypt, this itself transforms Egypt, to the point that even in the "place" of Egypt G‑dliness was felt. And this took place immediately at the beginning of the descent, as mentioned above, that "His master saw that G‑d was with him," and consequently "ויפקידהו על ביתו וכל יש לו נתן בידו" ("He appointed him over his house, and all that he had he placed in his hand")59; and similarly afterwards, while he was in prison.
The Oral Torah reveals that "Yosef was brought down to Egypt" means and signifies — "he conquered them, as it says, 'May he rule from sea [to sea]'."
7. Something similar took place in the arrest and redemption of the Alter Rebbe:
The Alter Rebbe was in prison, enclothed in exile — he did not "sweeten" the judgments "by passing the hand over the forehead and over the face"60; he did not cause the "Secret Council" to be burned61; and the manner in which he was treated was that he was interrogated and questioned with many questions on the foundations of Torah and mitzvos etc., which he answered with lengthy explanations, in a way that even the coarse minds of the officials conducting the inquiry and investigation would understand62.
On the other hand, however, the Alter Rebbe was not compelled in this. As related by my father-in-law, the Rebbe [the Previous Rebbe]63: "The entire matter of the arrest was with the consent of our great Rebbe... Had the Rebbe not consented, they would not have arrested him. The proof (of this is) from the journey to Petersburg — on Friday the black carriage came to a standstill, and the four horses that had been harnessed to pull the wagon did not help, because the Rebbe did not want etc." "The64 overall matter of the arrest was like an enclothement, by will, not to make use of the way that is above nature." And it is known65 that an "enclothement" and limitation by will is not a true limitation (a true limitation is specifically when the limitation comes by compulsion, from something outside oneself; but when it is in a manner in which one limits oneself — one has merely placed oneself within the limitation).
The reason that both extremes could exist in him is understood from the words of our Rebbeim: because "the (Alter) Rebbe is an essence (etzem); for an essence, no change of time and place is relevant"66. Therefore, even while being under arrest and in a mode of enclothement (as it were), he brought it about that the ministers of the government themselves, of their own accord, should free him in a manner of "deliverance in peace"67, recognizing that he was a G‑dly man.
This is what the Alter Rebbe elaborates on in his famous letter67 about his redemption: "הפליא ה' והגדיל לעשות בארץ ... אשר נתגדל ונתקדש ברבים ובפרט בעיני כל השרים וכל העמים אשר בכל המדינות המלך אשר גם בעיניהם יפלא הדבר הפלא ופלא וענו ואמרו על זאת כי אם מאת ה' היתה זאת היא נפלאת בעינינו" ("G‑d has done wondrously and greatly in the land... that [His Name] was magnified and sanctified publicly, and especially in the eyes of all the ministers and all the peoples in all the provinces of the king, so that in their eyes, too, the matter was exceedingly wondrous, and they responded and said concerning this: 'This was indeed from G‑d; it is wondrous in our eyes'") — that while he was under their rule and in their domain, the ministers, up to the king himself, saw that he was "חכם גדול ואיש אלקי" ("a great sage and a G‑dly man")68; and this (that they too acknowledged that "this was from G‑d") expresses the accomplishment of the redemption of Yud-Tes Kislev,
— similar to what took place with Yosef, that the "hurad" itself was "veyerd" — "he conquered them."
8. Every matter comes out and is revealed through the Torah, which is light. So too in our case: the accomplishment of the arrest and redemption of the Alter Rebbe is connected with the innovation of the Alter Rebbe in his teachings:
Especially in his book, the Tanya — for, as is known69, the redemption of Yud-Tes Kislev came in the merit of the two years of vitality in Torah and Divine service that the Tanya added among Chassidim (which is why the Alter Rebbe wanted the Tanya to be printed before Yud-Tes Kislev).
The explanation:
In the book "Tanya Kaddisha"70, as it is arranged before us, Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah comes as the second part. It is known, however (as is related among Chassidim), that the Alter Rebbe at first considered arranging Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah as the first part. For this reason we find in "Chinuch Katan" (the introduction to Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah), two or three times, the expression "כמו שיתבאר" ("as will be explained") (in the future tense) — although what is meant by it71 are the matters explained in the first part.
Moreover: since the Alter Rebbe left the expression "as will be explained" and did not change it to "נתבאר" ("has been explained," in the past tense), this is proof that even after the Alter Rebbe decided that Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah should come after the first part, he left room for his earlier view, and Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah has an aspect in which it "comes first" (though not in most respects).
The order of man's Divine service is that in order to arrive at love and fear [of G‑d] (which is the content of the first part of the Tanya), there must first be "האמונה הטהורה ונאמנה ביחודו ואחדותו יתברך ויתעלה" ("the pure and faithful belief in His Unity and Oneness, may He be blessed and exalted") (the content of Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah), as explained at the end of Chinuch Katan.
Accordingly, it can be said that the matter of the arrest and redemption of the Alter Rebbe finds expression in the Tanya, in the teachings of the Alter Rebbe, principally — in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah72.
9. Among the principal matters that the Alter Rebbe explains and innovates in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah, there are seemingly73 two general points:
a) The explanation of the "interpretation of the Baal Shem Tov" on "לעולם ה' דברך נצב בשמים" ("Forever, O G‑d, Your word stands in the heavens")74 — that "דברך שאמרת יהי רקיע ... תיבות ואותיות אלו הן נצבות ועומדות לעולם בתוך רקיע השמים ... להחיותם ... אילו היו האותיות מסתלקות כרגע ח"ו וחוזרות למקורן היו כל השמים אין ואפס ממש והיו כלא היו כלל ... כמו לפני ששת ימי בראשית ממש" ("Your word that You said, 'Let there be a firmament'75... these words and letters stand firmly forever within the firmament of the heavens... to give them life... Were the letters to depart even for an instant, G‑d forbid, and return to their source, all the heavens would become absolute naught and nothingness, and would be as though they had never been at all... exactly as before the Six Days of Creation")76. From this it is understood "איך שכל נברא ויש הוא באמת נחשב לאין ואפס ממש לגבי כח הפועל ורוח פיו שבנפעל המהוה אותו תמיד ומוציאו מאין ממש ליש" ("how every created being and existence is truly considered as absolute naught and nothingness in relation to the Power of the Creator and the 'breath of His mouth' that is in the created thing, which continually brings it into existence and draws it forth from absolute nothingness into being")77.
b) That the tzimtzum is not "כפשוטו שהקב"ה סילק עצמו ומהותו ח"ו מעוה"ז רק שמשגיח מלמעלה בהשגחה פרטית על כל היצורים כולם אשר בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת" ("to be taken literally — that the Holy One, blessed be He, removed His Self and Essence, G‑d forbid, from this world, and only watches from above with individual providence over all the creatures in the heavens above and on the earth below")78.
It can be said that the explanation that tzimtzum is not literal is not a separate matter; rather, it follows from, and is connected with, the explanation of the innovation of the Baal Shem Tov, as will be explained below.
10. The innovation in the Baal Shem Tov's interpretation is not only that the word of G‑d must constantly bring every created being into existence, at every single moment, but also that the words "Let there be a firmament..." are "מלובשות בתוך כל הרקיעים לעולם להחיותם" ("enclothed within all the firmaments forever, to give them life")78; and similarly in all created beings, the words and letters of the Ten Utterances that bring them into existence and give them life are enclothed within them [and as he elaborates79 on how in every created being "יש בחי' נפש וחיות רוחנית" ("there is a soul and spiritual life-force"), for even those things that are not mentioned in the Ten Utterances of the Torah receive a life-force that descends from level to level from the Ten Utterances of the Torah "ע"י חילופים ותמורות האותיות וגימטריאות ... עד שיוכל להתצמצם ולהתלבש ולהתהוות ממנו נברא פרטי" ("through substitutions and transpositions of the letters, and numerical equivalents... until it can be contracted and enclothed, and an individual created being can come into existence from it")].
That is to say: the meaning is not that the word of G‑d constantly brings the created being into existence while the created being becomes separate from the word of G‑d; rather, the word of G‑d is enclothed in [OCR unclear] ... nullification from the standpoint of the life-force, not a nullification in its completeness80.
According, however, to the way the Alter Rebbe continues and explains that tzimtzum is not literal, G‑d forbid — that is, that even81 in the "place" (level) where the G‑dly light and life-force contracts and enclothes itself within the created beings, "לית אתר פנוי מיניה" ("there is no place devoid of Him")82, and "מהותו ועצמותו יתברך ... מלא את כל הארץ ממש בזמן ומקום" ("His Being and Essence, may He be blessed... fills the whole earth, literally, in time and space")83 — two extremes result:
Every created being has its own individual "soul and spiritual life-force," which comes through the contraction and enclothement of the word of G‑d in each individual created being; and together with this, every individual created being is connected with His Essence and Being, may He be blessed, because in the "place" of the created being there is found "His Being and Essence, may He be blessed." And since His Being and Essence, may He be blessed, is entirely outside the category of the world, from this standpoint it is felt that the very existence of the world is G‑dliness84 (in the well-known expression85: the created existence is the true existence) — "אין עוד מלבדו" ("there is nothing else besides Him")86.
11. All matters in the Torah are a directive in the Divine service of each and every one, and especially publicized events that happened to a Nasi in Israel, a general soul — and particularly since the entire matter of the arrest was connected with his self-sacrifice for the teachings of Chassidus on behalf of all of Israel, each and every Jew. For through this the Alter Rebbe opened the channel of self-sacrifice for the service of G‑d in the teachings of Chassidus87.
The service of every Jew, finding himself in the darkness of exile, must be to illuminate the darkness of exile through his service with "נר מצוה ותורה אור" ("the lamp of mitzvah and the light of Torah"); and especially in the era of "עקבתא דמשיחא" ("the footsteps of Moshiach"),
when, in order to illuminate such a doubled and redoubled darkness, one must reach a greater and higher light88, up to the "luminary in the Torah," the inner dimension of the Torah89, which has been revealed in these days of ours in the teachings of Chassidus.
Because of the great darkness in the world, such difficulties and trials in Divine service can arise, when a Jew feels that not only are Jews in general "אתם המעט מכל העמים" ("you are the fewest of all the peoples"), but even among Jews themselves he belongs, for the time being, to a minority who occupy themselves with the work of spreading Judaism — the lamp of mitzvah and Torah — and especially with spreading the wellsprings outward.
He may therefore make a reckoning for himself that he should wait until the difficulties, concealments and hiddenness come to an end, and afterwards he will continue his work.
To this comes the directive from the above: he must know that the world and everything in it is brought into being at every single moment from absolute naught and nothingness by the Al-mighty, Who has no cause or reason preceding Him, G‑d forbid90. Consequently, it is not possible that there should be any existence that could prevent a Jew from doing his work of spreading the lamp of mitzvah and the light of Torah, and spreading the wellsprings outward.
And as for his seeing that there are opponents, concealments and hiddenness standing against this work, he must know that tzimtzum is not literal, G‑d forbid; it is not a true concealment, and the intent in it is that he should reveal within himself the "חלק אלקה ממעל ממש" ("veritable part of G‑d above")91 that is found within him, and the powers that the Rebbeim have invested in him92 — and then there comes about the "he conquered them" and "he ruled over them": one conquers, and openly rules over, even the matters that confuse, obscure and conceal.
And through the service of each and every one in this "he conquered them" in his own four cubits, in spreading Judaism including spreading the wellsprings outward, one hastens all the more the coming of our righteous Moshiach, when all will see openly, with physical eyes, the "וירד מים עד ים ומנהר עד אפסי ארץ" ("May he rule from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth")93, up to the state of "מלאה הארץ דעה את ה' כמים לים מכסים" ("the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the sea")94,
for there will be "ונגלה כבוד ה'" ("the glory of G‑d shall be revealed")95.
Even now, "מלא כל הארץ" ("the whole earth is full [of His glory]")96, literally, but this is not revealed — and then there will be "the glory of G‑d shall be revealed, וראו כל בשר יחדיו כי פי ה' דבר" ("and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of G‑d has spoken").
(From the sichos of Yud-Tes Kislev 5741)
Notes
1) Chelek Torah Shebiksav, at the beginning of our parshah.
*) See Likkutei Sichos vol. 5, p. 172ff., explaining the Alter Rebbe's expression "מועד תמידי" ("an everlasting festival").
2) This is the expression of the Alter Rebbe — Likkutei Dibburim vol. 1, p. 19b. And in the expression of my father-in-law, the Rebbe [the Previous Rebbe] (in a letter copied in the introduction to Hayom Yom, in the introduction to the Yud-Tes Kislev booklet) — "חג החגים" ("the festival of festivals") (explained in Likkutei Sichos vol. 5, p. 436ff.; below, p. 385ff.).
3) Except in two calendar configurations of a leap year ([OCR unclear]) and one of a regular year (zayin-ches-alef), when it falls on Shabbos Parshas Vayishlach. Note that even then: a) at the time of the Minchah prayer (the time when the redemption was announced (given)), Parshas Vayeishev is read; b) Sunday of Parshas Vayeishev is 20 Kislev, when the redemption actually took place (see Kitzurim VeHaaros LeTanya, p. 121; and elsewhere).
4) So it was also in the year of the redemption — 5559, for the redemption was on (Tuesday of) Parshas Vayeishev, as the Alter Rebbe writes in his famous letter (printed in Igros Kodesh Admur HaZaken, no. 38).
5) Cf. Kitzurim VeHaaros, ibid., pp. 120–121 (regarding the years 5554–5558).
6) The language of Rashi, Sotah 11a, beginning, s.v. "וישלחהו מעמק חברון": "ביוסף משתעי קרא כששלחו יעקב אצל אחיו והוא תחילת כו'" ("The verse speaks of Yosef, when Yaakov sent him to his brothers, and this was the beginning etc."). See also Rashi at the beginning of our parshah, 37:2: "These are the generations of Yaakov... the first cause: 'Yosef was seventeen years old etc.' — through him they were brought down to Egypt." — It follows that according to the plain meaning of Scripture, from the beginning of the parshah the Torah relates the "causes" of the descent to Egypt.
7) Our parshah 37:14; see Rashi there. See also Zohar on our parshah, 164a, beginning.
8) Ibid., 28; ibid., 36; 39:1.
9) Bereishis Rabbah 86:2.
10) See the explanation of this Midrash in Maamarei Admur HaZaken — Parshiyos (vol. 1), p. [OCR unclear]ff.
11) And according to the revealed dimension of Torah — there is nothing for which Yaakov (and his sons) should have been punished.
12) Lech Lecha 15:14. See at length Likkutei Sichos vol. 21, the second sichah on Parshas Shemos.
13) Shemos 3:12.
14) See Torah Or, Yisro 74a, end, ff.; and elsewhere.
15) In the manner of the language of the verse — Vayechi 50:20 (and as in the plain sense of our parshah, 37:27ff.).
16) Vayigash 45:5–8. See also Vayechi, ibid.
17) Our parshah 39:1.
18) This is the reading of Rashi and the Matnos Kehunah in Bereishis Rabbah there (also cited and explained in Nezer HaKodesh on Bereishis Rabbah there); in our editions it is in reverse order: "שלט בהן כמד"א וירד מים עד ים, כבש בהן כמד"א כי הוא רודה כו'" ("He ruled over them, as it says, 'May he rule from sea to sea'; he conquered them, as it says, 'For he dominated etc.'"). See the commentators on the Midrash, and Bereishis Rabbah, Theodor-Albeck edition.
19) Tehillim 72:8.
20) I Melachim 5:4.
21) See Yefeh To'ar (HaShalem), Nezer HaKodesh, and elsewhere.
22) Mikeitz 41:44.
23) Toras Shalom, p. 26.
24) See Menachos 53b; Shemos Rabbah 36:1.
25) See also Likkutei Dibburim vol. 1, p. 39b: "That he went into arrest was for the sake of an inner intention in Divine service" — see there, in the continuation of the matter.
26) Toras Shalom, p. 112, end, ff.
27) Cf. Sotah (32a; 33a) on the interpretation of "וענו ואמרו" ("and they shall respond and say").
28) The Alter Rebbe's letter, cited above, note 4.
29) Our parshah 39:20ff.
30) Our parshah 39:2 (continuing from the verse "And Yosef was brought down...").
31) On what follows, see (in a somewhat different manner) the discourses beginning "Padah BeShalom" — Shaarei Teshuvah by the Mitteler Rebbe, vol. 1 (sec. 3ff.); Sefer HaMaamarim 5659 and 5707; and elsewhere.
32) Cf. the discourse beginning "Lo Yeitzei HaIsh Lo BeSayif" (5652).
33) I Divrei HaYamim 22:8.
34) See Shaarei Teshuvah, ibid., vol. 1, sec. 1.
35) See the sources noted above, p. 175, note 77.
36) Yeshayahu 63:3.
37) Beshalach 15:15–16.
38) Berachos 22a. See also the hemshech "Padah BeShalom" 5704, ibid., ch. 20: "The matter of the enclothement of Torah is of the nature of the enclothement of being occupied [with something]... and the term 'enclothement' is only a borrowed term."
39) Toldos 25:23.
40) From Rashi there. See Pesachim 42b; Megillah 6a.
41) Tehillim 55:19.
42) See the Alter Rebbe's letter (printed in Igros Kodesh, cited above, note 4): "וכשקריתי בספר תהלים בפסוק פדה בשלום נפשי קודם שהתחלתי פסוק שלאחריו יצאתי בשלום" ("When I was reading in the book of Tehillim the verse 'He redeemed my soul in peace,' before I began the following verse, I went out in peace"). See also below in the text, section 6.
43) See Yerushalmi Sotah (ch. 1, end of halachah 8) on the interpretation of "פדה בשלום ... כי ברבים היו עמדי" ("He redeemed my soul in peace... for the many were with me"), that Avshalom's men were praying for David's victory.
*) [OCR unclear]
44) "Golah" (exile) with the addition of an alef [becomes "Geulah," redemption] (Likkutei Torah, Behaaloscha 35c).
45) On all that follows, see Torah Chaim, Vayechi, the discourse beginning "Ben Poras Yosef" (101d ff.); and similarly Sefer HaMaamarim 5688, p. [OCR unclear], and p. 26, end, ff. See also Sefer HaMaamarim 5565 (vol. 1), p. 192ff.; Ohr HaTorah, Mikeitz, vol. 6, 1102a ff.; Sefer HaMaamarim 5629, pp. 258–259; Hemshech 5666, p. 315 — except that in these places the level of Yosef is discussed in relation to the level of the Avos and the Shevatim, and therefore the Avos and the Shevatim were included there together.
46) Vayishlach 34:5.
47) Cf. the law that one may not use as sechach something that is fit to contract impurity — even if it has not been rendered susceptible to impurity (the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, beginning of sec. 629).
48) See Torah Chaim, ibid. (102a, end, ff.), and Sefer HaMaamarim 5688, ibid. (p. 27, end), that the Shevatim are on the level of yichuda tata'ah (the lower unity) and the Avos are on the level of yichuda ila'ah (the higher unity). And in Torah Chaim, ibid., ch. 7 (104c, in parentheses), regarding the Avos: "Although the screen does not separate for them at all, for the world does not occupy any place at all, since the tzimtzum does not conceal at all, to the point that they would need to divest themselves etc."
49) Cf. Torah Chaim, ibid., 108c; Ohr HaTorah, ibid., b; Sefer HaMaamarim 5688, p. 26, end, ff. — regarding the Baal Shem Tov.
50) The language of Torah Chaim, ibid., 102c. See similarly the other places cited in note 45.
51) Mikeitz 41:40; ibid., 44.
52) See Mikeitz, ibid., 56–57; 42:6; and elsewhere.
53) Our parshah 39:22.
54) Sefer HaMaamarim 5688, ibid., beginning of p. 26. Similarly in the other places cited in note 45.
55) See Torah Chaim, ibid. (104c ff.), and Sefer HaMaamarim, ibid. (p. 26, end, ff.), that Yosef is above Tohu and Tikkun (the root of the Avos and the Shevatim). And in Torah Chaim, ibid., ch. 9 (105b ff.), that Yosef brings about in Jewish souls the union of yichuda tata'ah, which is on the level of memaleh kol almin (the light that fills all worlds), with yichuda ila'ah, on the level of sovev kol almin (the light that encompasses all worlds) (and similarly in Sefer HaMaamarim, ibid., p. 26, end).
56) See the previous note. And Sefer HaMaamarim, ibid. (p. 26, end), concludes: "ועל ידי זה נעשה דהעולם יהי' מרכבה לאלקות" ("And through this it comes about that the world becomes a chariot for G‑dliness").
57) Our parshah 39:4.
58) Our parshah, ibid., 21.
59) Our parshah 39:4. See the continuation of the verses there.
60) See the Alter Rebbe's letter (printed in Igros Kodesh Admur HaZaken, no. 60).
61) See the notes of my father-in-law, the Rebbe — copied in Sefer HaToldos Admur HaZaken, p. 210 (in the 5746 edition — vol. 3, p. 702), note 7.
62) Sefer HaSichos 5703, p. 62.
63) Likkutei Dibburim vol. 1, p. 36b, end, ff.
64) Likkutei Dibburim, ibid., 39b.
65) See Hemshech 5667, p. 191, end, ff.; and elsewhere. — The example from halachah is well known, that covering one's head with one's own hand is not a covering (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim (and the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch), sec. 91, par. 4).
66) Likkutei Dibburim, ibid., 99a. See at length Toras Shalom, p. 166ff.
67) See the Alter Rebbe's letter (quoted above, note 42).
68) Beis Rebbi, vol. 1, ch. 16.
69) Kitzurim VeHaaros LeTanya, p. 120ff.
70) The language of the approbation of the head of the rabbinical court of Krakow, in the Zolkiew printing, 5559.
71) See also Pelach HaRimon (by Rabbi Hillel of Paritch), additions to Bereishis, p. 20, end, ff.
72) Cf. the letter in Kitzurim VeHaaros, ibid. (p. 121), in which the Alter Rebbe instructed, in the year 5555, that all of Anash be informed "שישקדו ויתמידו בלימוד ספר התניא וביום הש"ק פ' וישב — כ' כסלו — ילמדו בכל מושבות אנ"ש שני פרקים בחלק א' ופרק א' בחלק ב'" ("that they should study the book of the Tanya diligently and constantly, and on the holy Shabbos of Parshas Vayeishev — 20 Kislev — they should study, in all the settlements of Anash, two chapters of Part One and one chapter of Part Two").
73) It is known that one may say "seemingly" even regarding something whose conclusion is indeed so (see Sdei Chemed, vol. 9, Kelalei HaPoskim, sec. 16, par. 8, and the sources cited there).
74) Tehillim 119:89.
75) Bereishis 1:6.
76) Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah, ch. 1.
77) Ibid., beginning of ch. 3; and it is explained there at length.
78) Ibid., ch. 7 (83a, end, ff.).
79) [OCR unclear]
80) See Hemshech 5666, p. 224; and elsewhere.
81) And not only from the standpoint of the Luminary (Ma'or), which is the Infinite Himself, (to Whom) tzimtzum does not apply, G‑d forbid, nor does the world; on the contrary, "the Luminary is in a state of revelation, and therefore even young children know that there is a G‑d present etc., although they have no comprehension or grasp of how and what, because they do not have the revelation of the light; nevertheless, the Luminary itself is found below just as above" (Torah Or 14b; see the glosses on that discourse by the Rebbe Rashab, 5658 (Kehot 5741), p. 52ff.).
82) Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkun 57, cited in Shaar HaYichud VeHaEmunah, ibid. (83b).
83) Ibid., 82, beginning of side b. And his words there (83a, end, ff.), "מכאן יש להבין" ("From this one can understand"), come as a continuation of the lengthy explanation there before this (ch. 6ff.) that "אין מדת הגבורה מסתרת ח"ו לפניו יתברך" ("the attribute of Gevurah does not conceal before Him, may He be blessed, G‑d forbid") (ibid., end of ch. 6), and that "although He, may He be blessed, is above space and time, nevertheless He is also found below in space and time... and this is yichuda tata'ah" (ibid., ch. 7 — 82a, end). Accordingly, the lengthy explanation further on there (83b ff.) is also better understood: after rejecting the view that tzimtzum is literal, he explains the words of the Raaya Mehemna, Parshas Pinchas, as referring not only to the matter of sovev kol almin but also to the level of memaleh kol almin — the life-force that is enclothed within the very essence of the created being. See there at length.
84) Especially according to what is explained in Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 20 (130a, end, ff.): "מהותו ועצמותו של המאציל ב"ה שמציאותו הוא מעצמותו ואינו עלול מאיזו עילה שקדמה לו ח"ו ... הוא לבדו בכחו ויכלתו לברוא יש מאין ואפס המוחלט ממש בלי שום עילה וסיבה אחרת קודמת ליש הזה" ("The Being and Essence of the Emanator, blessed be He, Whose existence is of His own Essence and Who is not caused by any cause preceding Him, G‑d forbid... He alone has the power and ability to create something from absolute naught and nothingness, without any other cause or reason preceding this existence") — it follows that the nullification that stems from the Essence pertains to the very coming-into-being of the created beings, as explained at length in the discourse beginning "UleKachtem" 5661. — Accordingly, the connection between the matter of tzimtzum not being literal and the view of the Baal Shem Tov — that the word of G‑d is enclothed within every created being to bring it into existence and give it life, from nothing to something — is understood all the better.
According to this, those who hold that tzimtzum is literal must be said to disagree also with the view of the Baal Shem Tov. But this is somewhat forced, for the view of the Baal Shem Tov is founded on the Midrash Tehillim on the verse "Forever, O G‑d, Your word stands etc." (cited in Likkutei Torah, beginning of Parshas Acharei). It seems more plausible to say that in their view, the bringing into existence at every moment comes from His providence, may He be blessed, and not from His Essence.
And although in their view, too, "כל הנמצאים ... לא נמצאו אלא מאמתת הימצאו" ("all existing things... exist only by virtue of the truth of His existence") (Rambam, beginning of the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah) — this means only that they "exist" from Him, but He, may He be blessed, is not enclothed within the created beings; it is in the manner of "הוא צוה ונבראו" ("He commanded and they were created").
85) Biurei HaZohar, Beshalach (43c ff.). See also the discourse beginning "UleKachtem Lachem," ibid.; Kuntres Inyanah shel Toras HaChassidus, sec. 16.
86) Va'eschanan 4:35.
In the discourse "UleKachtem," ibid., the expression (regarding the nullification that stems from the Essence) "אין עוד" ("there is nothing else") is cited — the language of the verse (ibid., 39)*. See Likkutei Sichos vol. 4 (p. 1334), that the nullification of "there is nothing else besides Him" stems from the light, while "there is nothing else" stems from the Essence; see there (and cf. also Likkutei Sichos vol. 24, p. 43ff.).
What is stated in the text follows what has been explained several times (sichos of the night and day of Simchas Torah 5743; the night of Simchas Torah 5744; and elsewhere) regarding the difference between "there is nothing else" and "there is nothing else besides Him": "there is nothing else" entirely negates the existence of created beings, that there is no existence whatsoever, whereas "there is nothing else besides Him" means that (only) without Him there is "nothing else," but "with Him" there is existence.
[And in the discourse "UleKachtem," ibid., which comes to emphasize the nullification of the created beings — that not only are all things considered as nothing before Him, but "there is no existence whatsoever" — the expression "there is nothing else" is fitting.]
*) As is also evident from his citing there the saying of our Sages (Devarim Rabbah 2:27) on the verse "there is nothing else" — "even in the empty space of the world."
87) Likkutei Dibburim, ibid., 39b; 96a, end, ff. (and there: "The Rebbe's arrest was so that he should open the channel etc.," as in the text).
88) See Kuntres Etz HaChaim, ch. 13; the letter of the Rebbe Rashab of blessed memory printed in the additions to the aforementioned Kuntres, p. 82ff.; his Igros Kodesh, vol. 2, p. 713ff.
89) Yerushalmi Chagigah 1:7 (and Korban HaEdah there).
90) Iggeres HaKodesh, ibid.
91) Tanya, ch. 2.
92) See there, in the continuation of the chapter (6b, end, ff.).
93) Tehillim 72:8 (cited above, section 2ff.). See Ibn Ezra there on verse 1 and verse 8.
94) Yeshayahu 11:9.
95) Ibid., 40:5.
96) Ibid., 6:3.
Key Lesson
Just as Yosef's descent into Egypt was itself his conquest of it, and the Alter Rebbe's arrest was itself the vehicle of his redemption, a Jew need not wait for the darkness and obstacles of exile to pass before spreading Torah, mitzvos and the wellsprings of Chassidus. Since G‑d's very Essence is present in every place and the tzimtzum is not literal, no concealment is truly real; by revealing his G‑dly soul, a Jew transforms the exile itself into redemption and hastens the coming of Moshiach.