bereishit 1/25

Yaakov does not allow Esav to complete his plan. “And his hand was holding Esav’s heel.” (25:26) This is the aspect of Yaakov, who is named after the heel, the aspect of the feet, in the aspect of ‘And his hand was holding Esav’s heel’; for there, in the aspect of the feet, in the aspect of counsels, is the principal battle between Yaakov and Esav, who are the aspect of the counsels of the good inclination and the counsels of the evil inclination. For Esav is the aspect of the serpent’s defilement, the aspect of the serpent’s counsels, the aspect of ‘The serpent deceived me’; and therefore Yaakov took hold of his heel, for he does not allow him to complete his plan, because the principal rectification of counsel is when one completes with that counsel what is required. For when someone arrives at a plan in battle and succeeds through it for a time, but afterward the wheel turns and he falls through this, this is certainly not good counsel. And the principal good counsel is when one merits through it a good final outcome. And therefore all the counsels of the idol worshipers are foolish counsels, for although they succeed through them for a time and rule over Israel, their end is utter destruction. And therefore it is said of them, ‘For they are a nation whose counsels perish.’ And it is written, ‘Hashem has annulled the counsel of nations,’ etc., the aspect of ‘Devise a plan, and it will be annulled,’ etc., for they take counsel every time to destroy Israel completely, Heaven forbid, as it is written, ‘For they have taken counsel together with one heart,’ etc. And it is written, ‘Against Your people they craft a secret plan, and they take counsel against Your hidden ones; they said: Come, and let us destroy them from being a nation, and it will not be remembered,’ etc. But the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hands and will not allow them to complete their plan, the aspect of devise a plan, and it will be annulled, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of ‘And his hand was holding Esav’s heel,’ which Rashi explained as an allusion that he does not allow him to complete his reign until he comes and takes it from him. That is, his counsel, through which the principal continuance of his kingdom comes about—for the principal continuance of kingship is through counselors. But Yaakov will not allow him to complete his plan, which is the aspect of his kingdom, until he comes and takes it from him, for Hashem’s counsel will stand forever; for before Esav and the Other Side wish to complete his plan, meanwhile Mashiach, who is the Wondrous Counselor, will come and draw down such profound counsels that through this all the counsels of the Other Side, which are the aspect of Esav, will be annulled. It follows that the name Yaakov is used when he still has a battle with Esav, that is, when they still gain strength against him through doubts and counsels contrary to the truth, which are the aspect of the counsel of nations. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Tisha B’Av and Fasts, Halacha 4, item 14).

A person’s principal holiness is in the home, dwelling in tents; but nevertheless he must enter and leave, and for this he needs closeness to true tzaddikim. “And Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents.” (25:27) A person’s principal holiness is within his home, as it is written, ‘Like the glory of a person, to dwell in a house’; and it is written, ‘Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house,’ etc. And this is all the praise of Yaakov our forefather, who was a wholesome man dwelling in tents, the opposite of Esav, who was a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field. For there, in the field, outside, all corruptions and blemishes are found, the aspect of ‘For he found her in the field’ [printed note marker 84], the aspect of ‘Fallen in the field,’ etc. (And as this is brought in the books). But nevertheless, even an Israelite, who is from the side of Yaakov, who ought to dwell continually in his home and tent, where the principal holiness is, as above—nevertheless, he must go outside at times, and everything is for the good, for the sake of renewal, in the aspect of: Fortunate is the one who enters and leaves. This is the aspect of all the descents and ascents of each person of Israel, for the descent is for the sake of the ascent, in the aspect of descent whose purpose is ascent. But all this depends on complete faith through closeness to true tzaddikim who have a spirit of prophecy, who draw down upon each person, in completeness, anew each day, faith in the world’s creation anew, until one merits to draw down upon himself each day the holiness of the future renewal of the world. For one must know and believe that everything a person undergoes each day, at every time and at every hour, is all wondrous new creations of the one primordial Creator, blessed be He, who created His world anew, something from absolute nothing, for the sake of the person possessing free choice, so that he may merit the abundant hidden good of the future renewal of the world. And therefore he undergoes what he undergoes according to the person, according to the day and according to the place, etc. And it is all for the sake of the aforementioned aspect of renewal. And one who does not fall into old age and inveterate staleness, Heaven forbid, can renew himself for the good every time, even if whatever may happen happens to him. And the principal means is through closeness to true tzaddikim and to their holy books, for they merited to renew themselves in completeness each day through the holiness of the Land of Israel. And this is the aspect of when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way, for a person must leave the house where all his holiness is. And when he leaves the house he must place his hand on the mezuzah, to draw down upon himself the holiness of the holy mezuzah, which is the holiness of holy faith, to draw it down upon himself also outside, for the entire time he is outside, whether for a brief time or on an actual journey. And then, on the way where there is no mezuzah, he draws down upon himself the holiness of faith through the aspect of the sukkah, which is the root of the holiness of the house, which protects the person on the way, as above. And then he merits, precisely through the journey, to renew his mind, which is the holiness of his home, precisely through this; for this is a rule: constant pleasure is not pleasure. Therefore the renewal of the mental faculties is through the aspect of sleep first, which is the aspect of business dealings, the aspect of setting out on a journey. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of a Torah Scroll, Halacha 4, item 22)

His principal study was of holy faith. “And Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents.” (25:27) Yaakov was a wholesome man dwelling in tents. And all the academy of Yaakov our forefather, who studied in the academy with his sons and his pupils, as our Sages of blessed memory said, was entirely devoted to the study of holy faith. For the commandments had not yet been given, and their principal study concerned holy faith: to abolish idolatry and denials of faith, and to draw down, plant and establish complete holy faith in the heart of each and every person. And as is explained in his holy conversations, this was all the occupation of the Patriarchs in their study with the converts; see there. And therefore Avraham our forefather’s tractate on idolatry had four hundred and fifty-six chapters, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Avodah Zarah [Idolatry], folio 14b), for they had great and wondrous study in this: to uproot and abolish idolatry and denials of faith, and to draw down complete faith in the world. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Ownerless Property and the Property of a Convert, Halacha 4, item 32)

Esav’s stringencies arose because he was judgment not incorporated into charity, which is a blemish. “And Esav loved Yitzchak, because game was in his mouth.” (25:28) Esav is an expression of doing, whose root of nourishment comes from excessive exactitude in judgment and justice, which is the aspect of Torah that has not been properly incorporated into the aspect of charity. For the Torah is in the aspect of ‘we shall do,’ the aspect of performing practical mitzvos; but the Torah in the aspect of ‘we shall do,’ the aspect of performing the mitzvos, must be incorporated into the aspect of ‘we shall hear,’ the aspect of prayer, which is the aspect of self-nullification, desire, and attachment to the Infinite, as explained above. And this is what Esav asked: ‘Father, how does one tithe straw and salt?’ With this he deceived his father, for he presented himself as very exacting in every mitzvah, performing it with excessive stringencies; for that was where he had his hold, in the blemish of excessive superfluous stringencies. And as is brought in our words elsewhere, excessive stringencies are also a great blemish; see there. And all this is because judgment, in the aspect of Torah, was not completely incorporated into the aspect of prayer and charity. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Gifts, halacha 5, item 37)

“And Yaakov cooked a stew.” (25:29) This is the aspect of the entire struggle between Yaakov and Esav, for the essence of joy is the aspect of Yaakov’s holiness, whose bed was whole, the aspect of ‘Yaakov shall rejoice, Yisrael shall be glad’; and it is written, ‘Yisrael shall be glad in his Makers.’ And Esav is Edom, from whom all the exiles come: his principal ascendancy is through sadness, as explained above, in the aspect of ‘And it shall be, when you tureed, you shall break his yoke,’ etc. Specifically tureed, an expression of wailing and sadness; then ‘you shall break his yoke,’ etc., as explained above. And this is the aspect of the blessing and birthright that Yaakov endeavored to take from Esav. The blessing is the aspect of the blessing of the intellect attained through joy, which is the aspect of the birthright, which is the aspect of the sacrificial service that was then performed by the firstborn, for the sacrificial service is the aspect of joy, as explained above. And therefore the incident occurred while Yaakov our forefather was occupied with comforting his father Yitzchak in his mourning for Avraham, as it is written, ‘And Yaakov cooked a stew,’ etc., as our Sages of blessed memory said. And then ‘Esav came from the field’—and he was weary from murder, sexual immorality, and idolatry, which is the aspect of anger and sadness. For Yaakov was then occupied with his father’s meal of consolation, to comfort him in his mourning; and the essence of consolation is the aspect of ‘You have turned my mourning into dancing for me,’ which is the aspect of ‘They shall attain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee,’ mentioned above: sorrow and sighing must be turned into joy, in the aspect of ‘And I shall turn their mourning into gladness, and comfort them, and gladden them from their sorrow.’ And therefore he then cooked lentils, with which mourners are comforted; for the lentils contain mourning and contain joy, as is stated in Midrash Rabbah on this portion. For they signify that it is a wheel that turns in the world, which alludes to the resurrection of the dead, which is the essence of consolation. Because of this, death is ‘very good,’ the aspect of ‘And behold, very good,’ etc., which is the aspect of the wheel that turns in the world. For all the wondrous and awesome changes through which Hashem, blessed be He, conducts His world are the aspect of a turning wheel, whose root and essence derive from the aspect of the reincarnation of souls, for whose sake everything was created and is sustained. Hashem, blessed be He, causes wondrous and awesome reincarnations to revolve with the souls, beyond investigation, in the aspect of ‘Hashem puts to death and gives life; He brings low, also raises up; He impoverishes and enriches; He brings down to the grave and brings up,’ etc. (Shmuel I 2). From there come all the revolutions of the wheels of the sun and moon, the twelve constellations, etc., through which Hashem, blessed be He, conducts His world. And everything is for the ultimate purpose of the souls of Yisrael, who come into this world and pass through many exiles and many circumstances and reincarnations, until they are all compelled to die and return to life in the resurrection of the dead. And then all will see and understand Hashem’s work and the awesome deeds of His actions that took place in this world in all the circumstances and reincarnations of each and every one. And this is what the lentils with which the mourner is comforted signify: that it is a turning wheel, and he is destined to return and live, in the aspect of the dead, which is the essence of consolation; and through this everything is turned into joy, as explained above. But Esav denied the resurrection of the dead at that time precisely because Avraham had died, as is stated in the Midrash on this portion, that he said, ‘The attribute of judgment struck this old man,’ etc. For he then committed several transgressions, all of which derive from the klipah, which is the aspect of sadness. Therefore he said, ‘Feed me, please, from this red, this red,’ which is the force of judgment, which is sadness. For the eating of the tzaddikim is the aspect of joy, the aspect of ‘to eat and drink and rejoice,’ the aspect of ‘And you shall eat before Hashem your God and rejoice,’ said concerning eating the sacrifices. This is the aspect of the eating of the tzaddikim, whose eating is always in the aspect of eating sacrifices; and therefore their table atones like the altar, as our Sages of blessed memory said. But the eating of Esav and his faction is the essence of sadness, which is the serpent’s pollution, in the aspect of ‘In sorrow you shall eat it,’ etc. And wicked Esav then intensified this upon himself, saying ‘Feed me, please,’ etc., which is the aspect of gross eating by stuffing oneself, which is the blemish of eating, as is brought, which is the aspect of sadness, as explained above. And therefore Yaakov aptly said to him at its proper occasion and time: ‘If so, sell your birthright to me today’; for the service belongs to the firstborn, which is the aspect of joy. And therefore, since you choose transgressions and the eating of the Other Side, which is the aspect of sadness, you therefore do not deserve the birthright, which is the aspect of joy. And therefore Esav indeed immediately agreed to him and said to him, ‘Behold, I am going to die’; and our Sages of blessed memory said that he then denied the resurrection of the dead. And therefore ‘What use is the birthright to me?’ For certainly one who denies the resurrection of the dead, which is the ultimate purpose of the service, certainly has no joy in the sacrificial service or in the other service of the mitzvos. For the essence of joy is that we know and believe that the service of the sacrifices and mitzvos is our entire ultimate purpose and hope forever. Therefore he said, as befitted him, ‘Behold, I am going to die,’ an eternal death; and if so, ‘What use is the birthright to me?’ And then ‘he sold his birthright to Yaakov,’ etc. And through this Yaakov later merited to receive the blessings from his father by feeding him holy food, which is the aspect of joy. And therefore he brought him wine, as it is written, ‘And he brought him wine’; and Esav did not bring him wine, as is stated in the Midrash. For wine in holiness is the aspect of joy, the aspect of ‘And wine gladdens the heart of man.’ Especially since it was then the night of Pesach, as our Sages of blessed memory said, when Yisrael drinks four cups of wine, for then they go free from the exile of Egypt, which includes all the exiles, whose essence is sadness, as mentioned above. And therefore Yaakov brought him wine, the aspect of joy, as explained above. And therefore he then received the blessings, for all blessings are received principally through joy, as explained above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Blessing of Thanksgiving, halacha 6, item 18)

Why Yaakov endeavored to take the birthright out of Esav. “Sell your birthright to me today.” (25:31) Therefore Yaakov endeavored to take the birthright out of Esav, who is the Samech Mem, who is the evil inclination, who had game in his mouth, who always proceeded with deception and theft, and wished to overpower and draw nourishment from Yaakov when he saw that he was in the aspect of judgments, because his entire hold and nourishment derive from the aspect of judgments, as explained above. And this is the aspect of ‘And Yaakov cooked a stew,’ which was during the days of his father’s mourning, which is the aspect of judgments. And then he said to him, ‘Feed me, please, from this red, this red,’ which is the aspect of the force of judgment: he thought that he would gulp down and swallow from Yaakov’s holiness because he saw in him a hold of judgment, which is the aspect of red. But Yaakov possessed great power. He said to him, ‘Sell your birthright to me today,’ meaning: I shall give to you and feed you from this red, this red, meaning from the force of judgment. But you suppose that through this you will swallow and draw nourishment from holiness; on the contrary, it is reversed. For precisely through this—that I shall feed you from this red, this red, which is the aspect of prayer in the aspect of judgment—precisely through this you will sell your birthright to me. For through this I shall take the birthright out of you, which is a double portion; for precisely through this I shall take out of you all the holy things you swallowed. Even the very essence of your vitality I shall also take out of you, which is the aspect of a double portion, the aspect of the double payment paid by the thief, as explained above. And therefore Yaakov was not satisfied that Esav should sell and relinquish the portion of the birthright so that the two of them would be equal; rather, the matter was to be reversed, so that he would sell the birthright to him, so that Yaakov would be the firstborn and take a double portion. This means, as explained above, that it is not enough for the Other Side to return what it swallowed from holiness; it is also compelled to return and bring out the very essence of its vitality, as explained above, so that the vitality of the Other Side will rise and be turned into holiness. This is the aspect of Esav being compelled to bring out the portion of his birthright that he wished to draw from holiness, and also to give Yaakov the birthright, so that he would take a double portion by taking out of him the very essence of his vitality as well, as explained above. And therefore through this Yaakov merited the blessing, as it is written, ‘He took my birthright, and behold, now he has taken my blessing.’ For he took out of him all the knowledge and all the holy things and all the flows of bounty and blessings. And all this was through feeding him from this red, this red; for Yaakov possessed great power and had the power, through feeding him from the aspect of judgment, so that it would stand in his throat, in his place of swallowing, so that through this he is compelled to vomit and bring everything out, even the very essence of his vitality, as is explained there. And this is also the aspect of Yaakov clothing himself in Esav’s garments when he went to receive the blessings from his father by theft, for ‘With the crooked you act tortuously.’ For Esav wished to deceive his father Yitzchak, who is the force of holy judgment, to deceive him into arousing judgment against Yaakov and to draw the blessings to himself, Heaven forbid. Therefore Yaakov clothed himself in Esav’s garments, which are the aspect of the force of judgment; precisely through this he drew out and received the blessings from Yitzchak. For he possessed great power: precisely through clothing himself in judgments, precisely through this he subdued the Other Side until he took all the holy things out of it together with the essence of its vitality. And through this he received all the blessings and all the flows of bounty from Yitzchak, who is the aspect of judgment; for no judgment could accuse him because he possessed great power. And therefore ‘The voice is Yaakov’s voice,’ etc., is mentioned there, and ‘See, the scent of my son is like the scent of a field that Hashem has blessed,’ and ‘And may God give you,’ etc. For all this is attained through the powerful person’s prayer in the aspect of judgment, through which one attains the aspect of ‘The voice is Yaakov’s voice,’ which is the voice that waters the garden, through which all the spirits grow, in the aspect of ‘See, the scent of my son,’ etc., as is brought there in the above-mentioned Torah, which cites these verses in this connection; look there carefully. And this is ‘And I have given you one portion above your brothers’: it is the birthright, a double portion, ‘which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow’—‘with my prayer,’ etc., which is called sword and bow, the aspect of prayer in the aspect of judgment of the powerful person, through which he attained the birthright, and now gives this to Yosef. For he too attained this by descending to Egypt and withstanding the trial. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Theft, halacha 4, item 8)

"And he arose and went away, and Esau despised the birthright." (Genesis 25:34) [This means] that he arose and went away and did not kiss the mezuzah, as is brought down. For all this is connected to the verse, "And Jacob was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents." And it is stated in Yalkoot HaRi'oovaini that this is the mystery of mezuzos, which is the aspect of truth; see there a wondrous matter. For Esau's entire blemish is that he was a man of the field, which is the opposite of the holiness of the house in which a mezuzah is affixed, which is the aspect of Jacob, a wholesome man dwelling in tents. And the principal blemish was that he did not kiss the mezuzah, that is, that he did not draw the holiness of the mezuzah upon himself when he went outside into the field. For the Israelite, who is from the side of Jacob, a wholesome man, even when he goes outside, places his hand upon the mezuzah, and through this draws the holiness of the mezuzah also while he is outside, through the power of the holiness of the sukkah, which is also the aspect of Jacob, the aspect of "And Jacob traveled to Succoth" and "And he built himself a house," and as above, 86. But Esau, the opposite of all this, when he goes outside does not place his hand upon the mezuzah, for he has no faith; and therefore he is truly a man of the field, for Esau is in the aspect of the blemish of nourishment of the body, which is the opposite of nourishment of the soul, which is the aspect of "The voice is Jacob's voice," through which [Jacob's] hand holds Esau by the heel, etc., as all this is explained in the aforementioned teaching. For all the holiness of faith is drawn through the aspect of "The voice is Jacob's voice," etc.; see there. (Likutay Halachos, Halachos of the Torah Scroll, Halacha 4, item 27)

84. Said concerning a young woman who was raped, in the portion “When you go out” (22:27).

85. See below, in the parshah of Acharay Mos, at the verse “And live by them,” the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, on this at length.

86. Brought at the preceding verse, “And Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents.”

87. In Chayay Moharan (item 240): I heard that once a man from among our companions complained very much before him about his lack of livelihood. Our master, of blessed memory, said to him: I do not know how you have a heart like this, to disturb me with the vanities of this world. Surely I am like someone who walks day and night in a wilderness, striving and seeking to turn a wilderness into a settled place; for in the heart of each of you there is a desolate wilderness without inhabitant, and there is no dwelling there for the Divine Presence. And I strive and seek at every moment to make some rectification and a place in your hearts where there will be a dwelling for the Divine Presence. Surely how much toil is needed to take a thick barren tree called "damb" and make from it beautiful utensils fit for human use. How much toil is needed for this, until one hews it, saws it, and shapes it with an adze and with the other tools needed for this. Just so, with such toil I must exert myself with each one of you to make some rectification with him. And you disturb me with such vanities. End of quotation.