ברכת השחר א

"Kad shama kol tarnegola mevareich: HaNoasain laSechvi vinah l'havchin bein yom oovayn laylah..." — When one hears the call of the rooster, he blesses: "He Who gives the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night..." And the matter of the blessings of "shelo asani goy" and "eved" and "ishah" etc., and the matter of Bircas HaTorah, and the matter of Parshas HaTamid and the other korbanos, and the matter of Pesukay dizimra: 2

The matter of this awesome story of the Prince who was exchanged — through this, the world thought he was the son of the maidservant, and through this the cruel one — the true son of the maidservant — overpowered him and drove him from his place. Through this, the true Prince fell in his mind, until he came to evil, etc. All this is well understood to one who understands even a little: this is the secret of the entire matter of the exile of Yisrael — they are driven from their land and from their place, wandering like a bird from its nest, scattered among the nations. The kingdom and dominion belong to them [the nations], and Yisrael are considered, in our great sins, like slaves and maidservants. 4

This is the secret of Yitzchak and Yishmael, Yaakov and Eisav. Because of Haichalay HaTemooroas, Avraham was compelled to take a maidservant to first expel the p'soles [impurity/waste] within him from the sin of Adam HaRishon — he being the main one who began to rectify it. From this p'soles drawn from zuhamas hanachash [the venom of the serpent], Yishmael was born — the son of the maidservant. Because of the exchanges of Haichalay HaTemooroas, it was not recognized in the world who was the son of the maidservant and who the son of the Queen — the aspect of Sarah, who is named for kingship (sarah = ruling). Therefore Yishmael boasted that he was the primary seed of Avraham and that dominion belonged to him — this is the dispute between Yishmael and Yitzchak. As it is written (Bereishis 21): "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar... laughing" — and as Rashi explains from Sarah's response "For the son of the maidservant shall not inherit with my son" — you learn that he was quarreling with Yitzchak over the inheritance, saying "I am the firstborn..." 11

Therefore Dovid HaMelech specifically multiplied in prayer about this more than any other tzaddik, for the essential tikun of Haichalay HaTemooroas is through Dovid, who worked on this tikun more than anyone. He will complete this tikun fully in the days of Mashiach Tzidkeinu — who is the aspect of Dovid — when this tikun will be completed. For there in Haichalay HaTemooroas, through the sin of Adam HaRishon, exceedingly holy and precious neshamos were captured — the aspect of the nefesh of Avraham (which is why he had to emerge from Terach), and the neshamos of many lofty and awesome tzaddikim, as brought in the writings [of the Arizal]. 18

For this is not the path of true humility — to consider oneself a complete rasha, chas v'shalom, and to diminish the greatness of one's holy nefesh. Rather, the opposite: one must know and believe that his nefesh at its root is great and precious and exceedingly lofty, and thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads of worlds without measure depend upon it. As the Rebbe said: if one could turn a person inside out, one would see that in every sinew of a person's sinews hang thousands upon thousands and myriads of worlds. Even the nefesh of the lowest of the lowly of Yisrael is also exceedingly lofty — how much more so neshamos of bnei Torah, especially those with great intellect. For the greater the intellect, the loftier the neshamah, as the Rebbe said — for the neshamah is the intellect, as it is written (Iyov 32): "V'nishmas Shakeye tevinaim." 22