Chasidut su Cantico dei cantici 3:78
Flames of Faith
On Yom Kippur each Jew discovers within himself a bit of his personal yechidah, and Sukkos is a continuation of Yom Kippur.242See further Horeb 23:170. Rabbi Hirsch points out that Yom Kippur has two qualities: kapparah (atonement) and taharah (purification). The day brings atonement—namely a defense against physical punishment due the sinner—and purification—spiritual cleansing of the soul that was sullied with sin. Sukkos and its concluding holiday of Shemini Atzeres emerge from these two qualities. Sukkos is a celebration of physical survival and completes kapparah; Shemini Atzeres is a celebration of spiritual survival and thus completes taharah.
See further the Vilna Gaon’s commentary to Song of Songs 1:4, s.v. ve-daled pesukim elu, and Avodas Ha-Gershuni on Song of Songs 3:4, s.v. ve-shamati mi-dodi ha-gaon he-chasid me-vilna. The Gaon answers the Tur’s question why the holiday of Sukkos, meant to commemorate the clouds of glory with which Israel exited Egypt, is observed during Tishrei and not Nisan, the time of the Exodus. He explains that the full exit from Egypt was when the Jews merited having the Divine presence (the Shechinah) among them. Initially they had the Divine presence, and the intimate relationship between Creator and His children was symbolized by Heavenly clouds that surrounded the people. However, once the nation worshipped the Golden Calf (on 17 Tammuz), Moses broke the stone tablets of the commandments, the Almighty distanced Himself, and the clouds disappeared. The people engaged in a massive teshuvah campaign that started on the first day of Elul. They prayed for thirty-nine days, and on the fortieth they fasted. God forgave them, and on the fortieth day Moses returned to the people with a second set of tablets. Ever since then, the fortieth day (Yom Kippur) became a day of fasting, prayer, and forgiveness (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer). To complete the process of forgiveness and Divine reconciliation, on Yom Kippur Moses told the people that God had commanded the erection of a sanctuary. Its construction and inauguration would bring the Divine Presence into the camp for a permanent stay. On 11 Tishrei an appeal for gifts needed to construct the sanctuary was made. On the twelfth and thirteenth, the people brought all the raw materials necessary for the building. On the fourteenth, Moses announced that the community had donated sufficient materials and no further donations were needed, and he apportioned raw materials to different craftsmen. On the fifteenth, the construction began and the Divine presence returned. Thus, the fifteenth of Tishrei is the day when we celebrate the return of the clouds of glory. It emerges from this analysis that Sukkos is really a celebration of the completion of the forgiveness attained on Yom Kippur. See further Zeman Simchaseinu, Article 1. On Yom Kippur each Jew touches the depths of his or her heart (yechidah). On Sukkos, the apex of the yud is the heart of the Jew that joins the four species in completing God’s name.
See further the Vilna Gaon’s commentary to Song of Songs 1:4, s.v. ve-daled pesukim elu, and Avodas Ha-Gershuni on Song of Songs 3:4, s.v. ve-shamati mi-dodi ha-gaon he-chasid me-vilna. The Gaon answers the Tur’s question why the holiday of Sukkos, meant to commemorate the clouds of glory with which Israel exited Egypt, is observed during Tishrei and not Nisan, the time of the Exodus. He explains that the full exit from Egypt was when the Jews merited having the Divine presence (the Shechinah) among them. Initially they had the Divine presence, and the intimate relationship between Creator and His children was symbolized by Heavenly clouds that surrounded the people. However, once the nation worshipped the Golden Calf (on 17 Tammuz), Moses broke the stone tablets of the commandments, the Almighty distanced Himself, and the clouds disappeared. The people engaged in a massive teshuvah campaign that started on the first day of Elul. They prayed for thirty-nine days, and on the fortieth they fasted. God forgave them, and on the fortieth day Moses returned to the people with a second set of tablets. Ever since then, the fortieth day (Yom Kippur) became a day of fasting, prayer, and forgiveness (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer). To complete the process of forgiveness and Divine reconciliation, on Yom Kippur Moses told the people that God had commanded the erection of a sanctuary. Its construction and inauguration would bring the Divine Presence into the camp for a permanent stay. On 11 Tishrei an appeal for gifts needed to construct the sanctuary was made. On the twelfth and thirteenth, the people brought all the raw materials necessary for the building. On the fourteenth, Moses announced that the community had donated sufficient materials and no further donations were needed, and he apportioned raw materials to different craftsmen. On the fifteenth, the construction began and the Divine presence returned. Thus, the fifteenth of Tishrei is the day when we celebrate the return of the clouds of glory. It emerges from this analysis that Sukkos is really a celebration of the completion of the forgiveness attained on Yom Kippur. See further Zeman Simchaseinu, Article 1. On Yom Kippur each Jew touches the depths of his or her heart (yechidah). On Sukkos, the apex of the yud is the heart of the Jew that joins the four species in completing God’s name.
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Flames of Faith
The number eleven is often found in the realm of evil. The Sinai desert was a distance that normally took eleven days to walk through (see Deut. 1:2). The desert was the place of the four kelippos.409See further Shem Mi-Shmuel at the beginning of Parashas Bemidbar. Noah’s ark was submerged eleven ammos (cubits) into the waters of the flood. Noah’s ship was a refuge that saved holiness from the clutches of evil. It reached to the very depths of the realm of the unholy, to the eleventh ammah and preserved sparks of the Divine from that depth.410Heard from Rav Wolfson. The ketores (incense) had eleven spices, and its secret was taught to Moses by the angel of death, the head of the force of evil.411See further Shabbos 89a. The incense would stop plagues, for it had the ability to remove all the life force out of the realm of evil.412“The idea of transforming evil by elevating it back to its source in holiness is intimated in the incense” (Innerspace, pg. 86). Since evil has eleven forces, there were eleven spices in the incense mix.413The desert was the place of evil, of kelippah forces. Hence the verse in the Song of Songs, Mi zos olah min ha-midbar ke-simros ashan mekutteres mor u-lvonah mi-kol avkas rochel, “Who is she that arises out of the desert, she is perfumed [with ketores] of sweet myrrh and galbanum, [sweeter] than all the spices of the cosmetician” (Song of Songs 3:8). The Jewish service in the desert was to break the forces of evil that inhered there. The incense symbolizes break-ing evil through removing its life-force which is why the entire desert sojourn is symbolized in the above cited verse with the sweet smell of the ketores (heard from the Stitchiner Rebbe). The tabernacle was covered with a roof of eleven goat skins. The Hebrew word for goat is aiz, whose gematria is 77, which is seven times eleven. This symbolizes a state where the physical seven are controlled by the eleven forces of evil. The roof of the tabernacles was also meant to break the entire realm of evil, all eleven of its powers. Goats are a symbol of kelippah, which is why on Yom Kippur the sacrifice that symbolized misdeeds was the goat that was sent to the wilderness.414The word shaatnez (שעטנז)—a prohibited mixture of wool and linen—can be rearranged to spell satan aiz (עז שטן). This teaches that the goat (aiz) is the symbol of Satan.
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Kedushat Levi
Everything that has been handed down to us about Avram suggests that he was unwavering in his faith in G’d from his very youth, and certainly did not have any theological relapses. Nachmanides stated with absolute certainty, basing himself on Genesis 25,8 that Avram had always considered anything that happened to him as being G’d’s desire and meant for his own good. Nachmanides understood this as being the meaning of the words: זקן ושבע ימים, “of old age, satisfied and satisfied in years.” Contrary to most people, who are described in Kohelet Rabbah, 5,9 as leaving behind many unfulfilled aspirations when they die, Avraham died fully fulfilled. In Baba Batra 117, as well as in Sanhedrin 91 the meaning of the word מורשה is discussed, there being different opinions of how the distribution of the ancestral plots in the Land of Israel was determined by lottery; if the lottery only applied to the tribal allocations, or to families. The discussion also concerns whether only Jews who partook in the Exodus or their offspring were allocated land, or whether the allocation included Jews who had lived before that period, including Avram, Yitzchok, etc. Avram’s question of במה אדע כי אירשנה, meant: “how will I know that I personally will be included in the distribution of the land at that time? He knew that he would not inherit a plot of land in Israel as part of his father Terach’s merit, as he had been the first convert to Judaism, something that was confirmed in Sukkah 49. Since he did not endure slavery in Egypt as did the generation of the Exodus, he was not sure that he would qualify at the time of the distribution.
Avram’s question had been triggered by G’d saying to him:, לתת לך את הארץ הזאת לרשתה, “to give to you this land in order to inherit it.” (15,7) Avram wanted to know if he would live long enough to take part in the distribution of the land in Joshua’s time, or how he was to understand the words: לתת לך, “to give to you.” The Talmud in Sukkah 49 quotes psalms 47,10 where we encounter the expression עם אלוקי אברהם, “the nation that worships the G’d of Avraham”; a sage raised question whether G’d perhaps is not also the G’d of the people of Yitzchok and the G’d of the people of Yaakov.” The answer given is that Avraham was the first convert from which the Jewish people developed, so that he enjoys a special status. As a reward, G’d gave the land of Israel especially to him. Avraham wanted to know if, since the land of Israel becomes a מורשה, his share would be due to his father bequeathing it to him. The term ירש, “to inherit,” always implies that one inherits from a father. If Avram’s question had been במה אדע כי תתן לי, “how will I know that You give it to me,” it would have been inappropriate, of course. G’d had spoken about “giving;” Avram asked only about the hereditary aspect, אירשנה.
We will deal with the expression במה אדע, somewhat later in this paragraph. When G’d introduced His reply to Avram’s question with the words: ידוע תדע כי גר יהיה זרעך, “you must truly realize that your descendants will be strangers, etc.,” this can best be understood when referring to a commentary by the Zohar I 87 on the verse: (Genesis 2,4)אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם . The letter ה in smaller script in the middle of this word alerts the reader not to read the word as a single word, but as באברהם ברא, i.e. G’d created the universe on account of, or with the eventual assistance of Avraham.” Had G’d not foreseen that someone like Avram will be born, He would not have considered it worth His while to create the human race. The fact that Avraham, on his own, without prompting, would proclaim the name of the Creator, made it worth G’d’s while to put up with all the sins man would commit. Avraham would be the one to acquaint his peers with the concept that G’d is One, is unique, is in charge of the universe and yet had granted the creatures he made in His image freedom of choice to choose their own path in life. The fact that this Avraham would sire a Yitzchok, and Yitzchok in turn would sire a Yaakov who raised 12 sons who would form the nucleus of the Jewish nation, a nation of priests, made it all worthwhile for G’d. When the Jewish people collectively accepted G’d’s Torah, without critically examining what was written therein first, this was a crowning moment not only for the Jewish people, but it enabled G’d to converse with a mortal human being, Moses, as if he were on His own level, i.e. פנים אל פנים, face to face.
When G’d introduced His reply to Avram’s question with the words: ידוע תדע כי גר יהיה זרעך, “you must truly realize that your descendants will be strangers, etc.,” this can best be understood when referring to a commentary by the Zohar I 87 on the verse: (Genesis 2,4)אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם . The letter ה in smaller script in the middle of this word alerts the reader not to read the word as a single word, but as באברהם ברא, i.e. G’d created the universe on account of, or with the eventual assistance of Avraham.” Had G’d not foreseen that someone like Avram will be born, He would not have considered it worth His while to create the human race. The fact that Avraham, on his own, without prompting, would proclaim the name of the Creator, made it worth G’d’s while to put up with all the sins man would commit. Avraham would be the one to acquaint his peers with the concept that G’d is One, is unique, is in charge of the universe and yet had granted the creatures he made in His image freedom of choice to choose their own path in life. The fact that this Avraham would sire a Yitzchok, and Yitzchok in turn would sire a Yaakov who raised 12 sons who would form the nucleus of the Jewish nation, a nation of priests, made it all worthwhile for G’d. When the Jewish people collectively accepted G’d’s Torah, without critically examining what was written therein first, this was a crowning moment not only for the Jewish people, but it enabled G’d to converse with a mortal human being, Moses, as if he were on His own level, i.e. פנים אל פנים, face to face.
Moses reminded the people in Deut. 5,4 how 40 years earlier, when most of them had not yet been alive, G’d had addressed the whole nation on the פנים אל פנים “face to face level,” [until the people asked Moses to be their interpreter instead. Ed.] At that time all creatures on earth were in awe of their Creator. When the people had consecrated the Tabernacle in the desert as a “home” for Hashem in the lower parts of the universe, G’d took delight in the world He had created, as we know from Taanit 26 where the Talmud understands Song of Songs 3,11 ביום חתונתו וביום שמחת לבו, “on His wedding day, the day when His heart rejoices,” as referring to G’d’s feelings on the day of the revelation at Mount Sinai, and the day when the Tabernacle was consecrated, respectively. This is the kind of נחת רוח, “pleasure, satisfaction,” that man in the lower part of the universe can contribute to G’d in the loftier spheres, in heaven. On both of these occasions the joy was reciprocal, G’d showing that He can associate with earthlings and take pleasure from this. The Israelites’ enthusiastic response after the splitting of the sea and their miraculous and escape from Pharaoh’s pursuing armies, was another occasion when the reciprocal nature of the relationship between G’d and His “chosen” people was demonstrated publicly. Nowadays, almost 4000 years later, we recall these events and praise the Lord every week when we pronounce the blessings over wine. Not a day goes by without our giving thanks to the Lord for the Exodus from Egypt.
At the time when Avram lived, the world, i.e. the planet earth and man on it, was still in a state of semi-collapse, its continued existence far from assured, until Yitzchok and Yaakov continued the work that Avram had started when he kept proclaiming the power and goodness of the Creator. This assurance of the earth’s continued existence was only confirmed with the creation of the Jewish people, and this people’s leaving Egypt as G’d’s people, after having slaughtered the Passover, and proven that they considered the Creator as their highest authority.
The Tur, commenting on why we mention the Exodus of Egypt in the weekly Kiddush, as opposed to the Kiddush on the festivals whose link to the Exodus is self-evident, explains that the Sabbath harbours within it the כח המוליד, the power that enables creatures to regenerate themselves by producing offspring. This “power” is conditional on the observance of the Sabbath (in some form). Terach, Avram’s father, while able to produce physical offspring, was unable to produce offspring equipped with the kind of soul that would be active in spreading the message that G’d is the one and only Creator. [I have not been able to find where the Tur writes this, although he writes about man as well as most other living creatures becoming endowed with the ability to procreate bodies in his Torah commentary. (Genesis 2,3)
Avram’s question had been triggered by G’d saying to him:, לתת לך את הארץ הזאת לרשתה, “to give to you this land in order to inherit it.” (15,7) Avram wanted to know if he would live long enough to take part in the distribution of the land in Joshua’s time, or how he was to understand the words: לתת לך, “to give to you.” The Talmud in Sukkah 49 quotes psalms 47,10 where we encounter the expression עם אלוקי אברהם, “the nation that worships the G’d of Avraham”; a sage raised question whether G’d perhaps is not also the G’d of the people of Yitzchok and the G’d of the people of Yaakov.” The answer given is that Avraham was the first convert from which the Jewish people developed, so that he enjoys a special status. As a reward, G’d gave the land of Israel especially to him. Avraham wanted to know if, since the land of Israel becomes a מורשה, his share would be due to his father bequeathing it to him. The term ירש, “to inherit,” always implies that one inherits from a father. If Avram’s question had been במה אדע כי תתן לי, “how will I know that You give it to me,” it would have been inappropriate, of course. G’d had spoken about “giving;” Avram asked only about the hereditary aspect, אירשנה.
We will deal with the expression במה אדע, somewhat later in this paragraph. When G’d introduced His reply to Avram’s question with the words: ידוע תדע כי גר יהיה זרעך, “you must truly realize that your descendants will be strangers, etc.,” this can best be understood when referring to a commentary by the Zohar I 87 on the verse: (Genesis 2,4)אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם . The letter ה in smaller script in the middle of this word alerts the reader not to read the word as a single word, but as באברהם ברא, i.e. G’d created the universe on account of, or with the eventual assistance of Avraham.” Had G’d not foreseen that someone like Avram will be born, He would not have considered it worth His while to create the human race. The fact that Avraham, on his own, without prompting, would proclaim the name of the Creator, made it worth G’d’s while to put up with all the sins man would commit. Avraham would be the one to acquaint his peers with the concept that G’d is One, is unique, is in charge of the universe and yet had granted the creatures he made in His image freedom of choice to choose their own path in life. The fact that this Avraham would sire a Yitzchok, and Yitzchok in turn would sire a Yaakov who raised 12 sons who would form the nucleus of the Jewish nation, a nation of priests, made it all worthwhile for G’d. When the Jewish people collectively accepted G’d’s Torah, without critically examining what was written therein first, this was a crowning moment not only for the Jewish people, but it enabled G’d to converse with a mortal human being, Moses, as if he were on His own level, i.e. פנים אל פנים, face to face.
When G’d introduced His reply to Avram’s question with the words: ידוע תדע כי גר יהיה זרעך, “you must truly realize that your descendants will be strangers, etc.,” this can best be understood when referring to a commentary by the Zohar I 87 on the verse: (Genesis 2,4)אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם . The letter ה in smaller script in the middle of this word alerts the reader not to read the word as a single word, but as באברהם ברא, i.e. G’d created the universe on account of, or with the eventual assistance of Avraham.” Had G’d not foreseen that someone like Avram will be born, He would not have considered it worth His while to create the human race. The fact that Avraham, on his own, without prompting, would proclaim the name of the Creator, made it worth G’d’s while to put up with all the sins man would commit. Avraham would be the one to acquaint his peers with the concept that G’d is One, is unique, is in charge of the universe and yet had granted the creatures he made in His image freedom of choice to choose their own path in life. The fact that this Avraham would sire a Yitzchok, and Yitzchok in turn would sire a Yaakov who raised 12 sons who would form the nucleus of the Jewish nation, a nation of priests, made it all worthwhile for G’d. When the Jewish people collectively accepted G’d’s Torah, without critically examining what was written therein first, this was a crowning moment not only for the Jewish people, but it enabled G’d to converse with a mortal human being, Moses, as if he were on His own level, i.e. פנים אל פנים, face to face.
Moses reminded the people in Deut. 5,4 how 40 years earlier, when most of them had not yet been alive, G’d had addressed the whole nation on the פנים אל פנים “face to face level,” [until the people asked Moses to be their interpreter instead. Ed.] At that time all creatures on earth were in awe of their Creator. When the people had consecrated the Tabernacle in the desert as a “home” for Hashem in the lower parts of the universe, G’d took delight in the world He had created, as we know from Taanit 26 where the Talmud understands Song of Songs 3,11 ביום חתונתו וביום שמחת לבו, “on His wedding day, the day when His heart rejoices,” as referring to G’d’s feelings on the day of the revelation at Mount Sinai, and the day when the Tabernacle was consecrated, respectively. This is the kind of נחת רוח, “pleasure, satisfaction,” that man in the lower part of the universe can contribute to G’d in the loftier spheres, in heaven. On both of these occasions the joy was reciprocal, G’d showing that He can associate with earthlings and take pleasure from this. The Israelites’ enthusiastic response after the splitting of the sea and their miraculous and escape from Pharaoh’s pursuing armies, was another occasion when the reciprocal nature of the relationship between G’d and His “chosen” people was demonstrated publicly. Nowadays, almost 4000 years later, we recall these events and praise the Lord every week when we pronounce the blessings over wine. Not a day goes by without our giving thanks to the Lord for the Exodus from Egypt.
At the time when Avram lived, the world, i.e. the planet earth and man on it, was still in a state of semi-collapse, its continued existence far from assured, until Yitzchok and Yaakov continued the work that Avram had started when he kept proclaiming the power and goodness of the Creator. This assurance of the earth’s continued existence was only confirmed with the creation of the Jewish people, and this people’s leaving Egypt as G’d’s people, after having slaughtered the Passover, and proven that they considered the Creator as their highest authority.
The Tur, commenting on why we mention the Exodus of Egypt in the weekly Kiddush, as opposed to the Kiddush on the festivals whose link to the Exodus is self-evident, explains that the Sabbath harbours within it the כח המוליד, the power that enables creatures to regenerate themselves by producing offspring. This “power” is conditional on the observance of the Sabbath (in some form). Terach, Avram’s father, while able to produce physical offspring, was unable to produce offspring equipped with the kind of soul that would be active in spreading the message that G’d is the one and only Creator. [I have not been able to find where the Tur writes this, although he writes about man as well as most other living creatures becoming endowed with the ability to procreate bodies in his Torah commentary. (Genesis 2,3)
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Baal Shem Tov
When Jews pray and cleave to the Holy One, a voice calls out (Song of Songs 3:11) "Go forth and gaze, daughters of Zion!" Whoever is unworthy of such unification should get away - this is 'go forth'. And anyone who is worthy and open to it will see - this is 'and gaze'. When the kelippot, the husks of darkness, hear this voice they try to interrupt you in your prayer with foreign thoughts of temporal delights. The wise one, though, cleaves to their love and awe of the Holy Creator, and elevates the living sparks in such thought, and says in their heart: What do I get from cleaving to such materiality? better that I should cleave to its vitality, which is a manifestation of one of God's divine energies, namely, wisdom, as it says (Psalms 104:24) "You formed everything in wisdom."
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