קריאת שמע א

Topic: The mitzvah of Tefillin shel Yad and shel Rosh; that they must be of the hide of a kosher animal specifically, and written on parchment; the matter of the straps and the ma'abarta, and the rest of their holy and tremendously awesome details; the matter of the Tefillin of Rashi and of Rabbeinu Tam.

Our essential hope to return to Eretz Yisrael = only through the power of true Tzaddikim who work to make the path to Eretz Yisrael by drawing the Chesed Chinam that sustained the world before Mattan Torah → sustaining all and raising many neshamos. Therefore one who does not enter the BHK to pray = himself a "shachain ra" — he shows he does not believe in kedushas BHK (= kedushas Eretz Yisrael drawn from Ko'ach ma'asav that nullifies the kitrugin of the evil neighbors). Since he does not enter the BHK, he is like all the evil neighbors contesting kedushas Eretz Yisrael (= kedushas BHK).

Based on the awesome Ma'aseh [story] of the Seven Beggars, printed in Sipuray Ma'asiyos.

Based on the tremendously awesome Ma'aseh of the Seven Beggars printed in Sipuray Ma'asiyos — see there on page 96 — regarding the first beggar, who was blind, who came to the groom and bride at the wedding after the chuppah and told them he was giving them a gift for the derashah: that they should be as old as he. "You shall live long lives like mine. You think I am blind — in truth I am not blind at all, only that the entire world does not amount in my eyes to even the blink of an eye. For I am exceedingly old, yet I am still completely yanak [young] and have not yet begun to live at all. Nevertheless, I am exceedingly old." He has an endorsement of this from the Great Eagle. See there all this very well. If you have eyes of intellect, you will understand from afar how exceedingly deep are His thoughts. It is impossible to elaborate on this at all. One who truly desires will see and understand from there the greatness of Hashem and the greatness of the true, great Tzaddikim — how much each one merited, according to what each one boasted of there. For everything described there — what each one related — is the boasting of some exceedingly great and awesome Tzaddik who boasted in the upper worlds, in the place where he boasted, of what he merited in this world. Fortunate is he! Fortunate is his portion! For example, in the matter to be explained before us: the elders boasted, and each one told what he remembered from his earliest memory. The youngest of them all is already exceedingly, exceedingly lofty — it is impossible for the mind to contain his greatness and the might of his holiness. For instance, one boasted that he remembers what happened to him when they cut his umbilical cord. See and understand! Can there be found even one in a generation who could boast of such a thing — that he purified and sanctified his body and physicality so greatly until he merited to remember what happened to him at the beginning of his birth, when he emerged into the air of the world, when they cut his umbilical cord? And this is the youngest of them all! From him you can appreciate the stature of the second holy elder, who found the first elder's level laughable, saying in wonderment: "That is an old story — I remember that too. But I also remember when the candle was burning." The Great Eagle later explained that this means he remembers what happened when he was in his mother's womb, when a candle burned above his head, as explained there. The advantage of the second over the first can be somewhat understood from afar, for the great difference between before a person emerges into the air of the world and afterward is explained in the Gemara (Niddah 30b) and Midrashim and in the holy Zohar — that during gestation, a candle burns above his head and he gazes from one end of the world to the other; but as soon as he exits to the air of the world, an angel strikes his mouth and he forgets everything. Of this Iyov said: "Mi yitneini k'yarchei kedem, kimei Elokai yishmereni" — "Who would give me the months of old, the days when God watched over me" (Iyov 29:2). And all man's avodah is to know and attain what he knew originally when the candle was burning above his head — when he gazed upon the Or HaGanuz of the seven days of Creation, by which man could see from one end of the world to the other. Now see and understand how greatly the stature of the second elder exceeds the first — as the height of the heavens above the earth. And likewise the third over the second, and so on — each one is already exceedingly lofty, found perhaps only once in many generations, and yet compared to the one above him, is considered a mere point. And so on to the one who boasted that he was a mere infant — the Blind Beggar himself — who said he remembers all these stories yet remembers nothing at all. For this is a great principle, explained in the words of our Sages and in the writings of the Arizal: even the highest level is considered a mere point compared to the level above it. As the holy Zohar says (Tikkunim 70d, 123): "Even Keser Elyon is dark before the Cause of Causes." All these wonders are explained in the story of Day One, and in each day's story, many wondrous things are explained. Open your eyes and see what man can merit in this world — that those born of woman can attain such lofty things that Hashem Himself boasts of them! Our awesome Rebbe knew of all of them and knew how to tell the story made in the place where it was made, from all of them. He said of himself when he told this story: even if he knew nothing else in the world besides this story, it would already be an exceedingly great novelty. There is no room to elaborate further here. Let us return to our subject. It is explained there that they said each one should tell an old story — what he remembers from his earliest memory. The first elder among them told that he remembers when they cut the apple from the branch — when they cut his umbilical cord. The second told that he remembers when the candle was burning — what happened during gestation when the candle burned above his head. The third told that he remembers when the body began to be formed. The fourth told that he remembers when they carried the seed to plant the fruit — when the drop was drawn during the union. The fifth told that he remembers the sages who devised the seed — when it was still in the father's brain. The sixth, seventh, and eighth remembered the appearance, the taste, and the fragrance before they were drawn upon the fruit — the aspects of Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah. And the infant — the Blind Beggar himself, who tells all this — said he remembers nothing at all, for he is above all of them, remembering even what precedes Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah — the aspect of Ayin [Nothingness]. See there all this well. If you wish to gaze with the eye of truth, you will see from afar wonders of Hashem, the like of which has never been heard or seen since the days of the world. This is the aspect of Tefillin. For Tefillin are the aspect of Zikaron [memory/remembrance], as it says: "Ul'zikaron bein einecha" — "And for a remembrance between your eyes" (Shemos 13:9). "Between your eyes" specifically — for the essential Zikaron depends on rectification of the eyes, as understood from the story. This blind one, who was completely blind to the vision of this world, having no interest in gazing at this world at all — until he merited that the entire world did not amount in his eyes to even the blink of an eye — this being the essential rectification of the eyes — he merited the ultimate perfection of memory with no perfection after it. For this blind one remembered more than all of them. Thus the essential Zikaron depends on the eyes. This is also explained in the Torah "Vay'hi mikeitz — Zikaron" (LM I:54), where the essential memory depends on the eyes — and that verse is cited there: "Ul'zikaron bein einecha." For Tefillin are the aspect of Mochin d'Gadlus [expanded consciousness], which is the aspect of holy Zikaron. Memory is the aspect of Da'as and Mochin, as explained in the Torah "Dirshu Hashem" (LM I:37). This is the aspect of Tefillin shel Rosh and shel Yad, which between them have eight parshiyos — four in shel Rosh and four in shel Yad — corresponding to the eight holy elders who are the masters of memory, the aspect of Tefillin and "Ul'zikaron bein einecha." It is known in the Kavanos that Tefillin shel Rosh are in the aspect of d'chura [masculine] and Tefillin shel Yad in the aspect of nukva [feminine]. The totality of Tefillin are the aspect of Mochin d'Ibur Beis d'Gadlus. This is the aspect of the holy elders who merited such great Mochin that each one remembered and attained further back into the beginning — what happened with him from before. The more one attained, the more he remembered an ever earlier beginning. They are eight elders, divided into two groups of four — corresponding to the two groups of four parshiyos in shel Yad and shel Rosh. The first four elders — their entire matter concerns what happens to the child in his mother's womb, from the departure of the drop until the cutting of the umbilical cord at birth. These constitute the aspect of Or [light], Mayim [water], Rakia [firmament] as discussed in the Zohar and Kavanos: the initial departure of the drop = Or (no form yet); the beginning of formation = Mayim; the full gestation with candle burning = Rakia; then birth. All this concerns the mother — the nukva aspect — therefore these Mochin are the aspect of the four parshiyos of Tefillin shel Yad = Mochin d'Nukva. The other four elders — their entire narrative concerns what happened before the drop descended into the mother's womb. They remembered when the drop was still in the father's brain, and the appearance, taste, and fragrance (= Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah) — the drawing of thought from cause to effect, from world to world, from intellect to intellect, until the holy drop was formed. All these four aspects are at the father's side — the d'chura — therefore they are the aspect of the four parshiyos of Tefillin shel Rosh = Mochin d'D'chura. For the Tefillin are drawn from the aspect of Tikkunei D'ikna [rectifications of the holy beard], which is the aspect of the holy zekeinim [elders], the source of holy ziknah [elderliness] — the aspect of "hadras p'nei zakein" [the glory of an elder's face]. The essential holiness of the Mochin of Tefillin is drawn from the uppermost and greatest elder — the yanak [infant] among them — the Blind Beggar, who was a complete infant. From him is the essential holiness of ziknah. All eight elders (= the eight parshiyos of Tefillin) all receive from this uppermost elder. But the Mochin of the Blind Beggar himself cannot be clothed even in the parshiyos of Tefillin — therefore there is no parshah corresponding to him, for he is above all and the root of all. His mind is not even called "Zikaron" — he said he remembers all yet remembers nothing, for he is above memory, the root of memory, included in the Ein Sof. The essential Mochin of Tefillin are the aspect of holy chiyus [vitality/life] one merits through Tefillin. The Mochin are life itself: "HaChochmah techayeh" — "Wisdom gives life" (Koheles 7:12). "One who wears Tefillin merits life: 'Hashem aleihem yichyu'" (Menachos 44a). As brought in the Kavanos, Tefillin are the aspect of three Names — Ehyeh Havayah Ehyeh — whose numerical value is Chayim [life]. The Mochin of Tefillin are drawn from the Tikkunei D'ikna Kadisha — the totality of the holy elders whose root is the uppermost elder, the Blind Beggar, who boasted that he truly lives long life. He is exceedingly old yet exceedingly yanak, having not begun to live at all. The entire duration of the world does not amount to a blink of an eye in his estimation. Indeed, these are matters concealed by Atik Yomin — no thought can grasp them at all, and there is no one on dry land who can interpret this secret. Nevertheless, since by Hashem's mercy upon His people, these words have already issued from his holy mouth and been set in writing and printed in a book, it is fitting for us to strive and find in them some allusion relevant to practice, so that we merit to awaken from our sleep — which was his holy intention in these stories: to awaken from sleep all people who are sleeping away their days, as explained in the Torah "Pasach Rabbi Shimon" (LM I:60). There you will see and understand the tremendous awesomeness of these stories — for they are the aspect of "ma'asiyos of primordial years," the aspect of Atik, the aspect of the "hadras panim" from which the seventy faces of Torah are drawn. The essential intention of the above for practical application is what I myself saw and heard from our Rebbe many times — that he lived new chiyus each time. I heard from him many times that he said: "Today I lived a life that I never lived before." At other times I heard him speak at length about the nature of chayim — that everything is called "life" by the world, yet even within a life of suffering there are many distinctions. But in truth, the essential life is the true long life — the long life of the Blind Beggar — who truly lives long life, boasting that he is exceedingly old yet exceedingly yanak and has not yet begun to live at all. For the essential life is when one begins to serve Hashem anew each time, as if he has not yet begun his avodah at all. As it says: "Asher Anochi metzavecha hayom" — "Which I command you today" (Devarim 6:6) — and our Sages expounded: "Each day they should be in your eyes as new — not like an old decree that no one regards, but each day as new." And: "Haskes ush'ma Yisrael, hayom hazeh nihyeisa l'am LaHashem Elokecha" — "This day you have become a people to Hashem your God" (Devarim 27:9) — "Each day it should be in your eyes as if today you entered into His covenant." I saw from our Rebbe countless times: even though in the previous hour he had boasted of tremendous and awesome things and revealed wondrous Torah the like of which was never heard, afterward in the next hour, we saw him in great distress, and many times he expressed his suffering to us from the depth of his heart — that he agonizes over how one merits to be a Yid, like one who has never smelled the fragrance of Avodas Hashem. One who has not seen this cannot picture it in writing. It is somewhat described in his published praises. Each time he would say that now he knows nothing at all — absolutely nothing — even though in the previous hour he had revealed what he revealed and boasted of what he attained. The sum of it: he never stood on one level, but always went with alacrity from level to level among the highest, most lofty levels, and even when he reached what he reached, his mind was still not settled. This is the essential true chiyus — when one merits to begin anew each time in Avodas Hashem, which is the essential life: "Ki hu chayecha" — "For He is your life" (Devarim 30:20). The essential thing is that one's avodah should be new each time, not falling into the ziknah of the Sitra Achara, where one's avodah becomes old in his eyes. As our Rebbe warned: "It is forbidden to be old — whether an old Tzaddik, an old Chassid — old is no good." One must begin anew each time. This is the essential long life of the holy elder, the Blind Beggar — old yet yanak: the more he aged and was included in holy ziknah (the aspect of Atik d'Atikin), the more yanak he became, for he perceived each time that he is still exceedingly far from Hashem, for "His greatness is unfathomable." He merited the long life where ziknah and yankus [youth] are included together — impossible to comprehend. This is the aspect of Tefillin, drawn from the uppermost elder who is the root of Tefillin-Mochin — the aspect of life. "V'atem had'veikim BaHashem Elokeichem chayim kulchem hayom" — "And you who cling to Hashem your God are all alive today" (Devarim 4:4) — stated regarding Tefillin. The purpose of Tefillin-Mochin is to merit through Tefillin to live new holy chiyus, to renew like the eagle his days, to begin his avodah anew each time. Therefore the Blind Beggar had his endorsement from the Great Eagle specifically — for such chiyus is the aspect of "Tischadesh kaNesher n'uraychi" — "Your youth is renewed like the eagle" (Tehillim 103:5). The eagle, when it ages, renews its vitality — the more it ages, the more it renews and begins anew. From there is the aspect of Tefillin — the life described above. For the essential Tefillin are the radiance of the Mochin in the face — the light of the countenance drawn from Tikkunei D'ikna Kadisha, the essential Da'as Panim [frontal knowledge] — the aspect of the holy Zakein. The Tikkunei D'ikna are the aspect of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, and their essence is suppression of anger — sweetening judgment and wrath — the aspect of Erech Apayim [long-suffering/patience]. As our Sages said (Sanhedrin 111b) on the verse "Vay'maher Moshe vayikod artzah" — "Moshe hurried and bowed to the ground" — "What did he see? He saw Erech Apayim." For the essence of the Thirteen Attributes (Tleissar Tikkunei D'ikna) that Hashem revealed to him then is the aspect of Arichas Apayim — suppression of the face. Therefore Moshe was inspired by this attribute specifically. As explained regarding the greatness of Arichas Apayim in the words of our Rebbe (LM I:155), in the teaching beginning: "Atzvus is a very bad midah" — see there the entire matter to the end, for it is a wondrous path of serving the Creator. If you look carefully there, you will find wondrous advice and immense encouragement without measure for His service. The principle: a person must cling to the attributes of Hashem, as explained in the words of our Sages and in all the sefarim. Therefore one must cultivate Arichas Apayim — extending his patience in every matter, not becoming angry, not being exacting about anything, and not looking at any obstacle or disturbance in his avodah — whether obstacles from other people (father, father-in-law, wife, relatives, or anyone else), as is known and seen tangibly, that whenever anyone wishes to enter Avodas Hashem, to begin praying with kavanah and so on, he immediately faces countless obstacles. Each person must be bold as a leopard and strong as a lion to do the will of his Father in Heaven, overcoming all obstacles, not looking at them at all, strengthening himself to do what he must — engaging in Torah and prayer with kavanah and with strength. This is Arichas Apayim — not having kotzer ruach [shortness of spirit/impatience] that would cause him to abandon his avodah due to obstacles and suffering. He must lengthen his patience over everything and not look at any obstacle at all. Even the disturbances from within himself — the desires, evil and foreign thoughts pursuing him constantly, especially during prayer, causing great suffering — the essential thing is Arichas Apayim, which is the aspect of emunah. As explained there: the essential Arichas Apayim is merited through emunah — having complete faith in Hashem and in the true Tzaddikim and kesheirim, strengthening oneself in avodah, not falling from anything — not being bothered, not having one's spirit shortened by any disturbance — by the Baal Davar [the evil inclination] introducing confusion and chalishus hada'as [weakness of mind] as if all hope is lost due to his evil deeds and blemishes until now. For one must not look at any of this at all, as explained in the words of our Rebbe and in our words many, many times — to what extent a person must strengthen himself. There is no despair in the world at all. However he is, even if he has fallen this very fall countless times, nevertheless there is no despair in the world at all. All the days that he lives upon the earth, he must strengthen himself to begin anew each time and not fall into ziknah of the Sitra Achara at all. For all the falls in the world are from the ziknah of the Sitra Achara — it seems to him that he has already aged in his sins and habitual behavior until it is impossible for him to escape them. In truth, he must know and believe that every day, every moment, every hour, man has the power to renew himself and become a genuinely new creation — for Hashem makes new things at every moment, and no day and no hour is like the next. Therefore one must strengthen himself anew each time, and begin each day anew. Sometimes even within a single day one must begin anew multiple times. Even if this goes on for a long time — however it may be — at every moment he must remember himself in Hashem, completely forget everything that passed until now, and begin now genuinely anew, doing whatever he can. He must not look at any disturbance or weakness of mind at all. All this is the aspect of Arichas Apayim — extending his spirit to pass over all disturbances and obstacles. Nothing should bother him; his heart should not melt and his spirit should not be shortened by anything. He must strengthen himself in Hashem as much as he can — for Hashem is full of mercy at every moment: "Chasdei Hashem lo samnu, v'lo chalu rachamav l'olam." We have spoken of this matter many times, but such a subject needs to be repeated without measure — "Ki hu chayecha". For the distancing of most of the world from Hashem, and the loss of eternal, true life — nearly all of it comes only from chalishus hada'as: people fall in their minds because they tried several times to begin in Avodas Hashem and then fell into whatever they fell into. Through this they despaired of beginning again. Some awakened once more and began again, once or twice, but then fell again — and despaired, having tried for so long and still fallen. It seemed to them that their strength to begin again was spent. But in truth, all this is the work of the Baal Davar himself — the Zakein d'Sitra Achara — called "Melech zakein u'ch'sil" — "an old and foolish king" (Koheles 4:13) — who wants to cast man into old age and exhaustion, as if he has already grown old in his sins until he cannot change. In truth this is not so — each day man is a new creation. This is why we recite each morning the blessings of netilas yadayim and the blessings of "shelo asani goy" etc. — because man is made anew each day as a new creation, as explained in Shulchan Aruch. The blessing "HaNosein laya'ef koach" is recited for the renewal of Mochin and vitality each day. This attribute of Erech Apayim is the essential Tikkunei D'ikna — the holy Zakein who truly lives long life by beginning to live anew each time. Only this is ziknah of holiness — long life. When one falls into ziknah of the Sitra Achara — when his avodah ages, or he falls from avodah entirely because it seems he has aged in his sins beyond change — such ziknah is the essential shortening of days. As explained by our Rebbe: those elders who do not add vitality and increased avodah at every moment are called "k'tzar yamim s'va rogez" — "short of days and full of anger" — see the Torah "Uv'yom HaBikkurim" (LM II:4). The principle: every person who wishes to think about his ultimate end must be very careful not to be zakein [old] at all — not to fall into ziknah of the Sitra Achara. Whether a Tzaddik, a Chassid, or any person — even the lowest of the low — each one, according to his level, must guard against falling into the ziknah described above. Even a great Tzaddik is forbidden to become old in his avodah — even though he merited complete avodah at a high level, he must strengthen himself to ascend from level to level and begin anew each time. This is the essential Yahadus [Judaism] — to strengthen oneself to ascend from level to level. As I heard from our Rebbe when he began teaching the Torah "Tisha Tikkunin Yakirin ismesaru l'D'ikna" (LM I:20), he said in these words: "One who wants to be a true Ish Yisraeli — to go from level to level — can only do so through Eretz Yisrael." From his words we hear that one is not truly called a Yisraeli unless he goes from level to level — and this is merited through Eretz Yisrael. This is the essential long life — the aspect of Torah, called "life" — when one begins anew each time. And conversely: even one who has done what he has done and transgressed what he has transgressed — he too is forbidden to be zakein, and must guard himself even more from the ziknah described above, not coming to any despair. He should not say in his heart that he has already grown old in his deeds beyond change. Rather, he should strengthen himself to begin anew however he can — doing whatever he is able, whether great or small. Even if he can only say one single word in prayer or hisbodedus, or learn a tiny bit — at any rate, he should do what he can and revive himself with the little he is still able to touch the holiness of Yisrael. For at any rate, however he is, he certainly does many mitzvos every day — for even the sinners of Yisrael are full of mitzvos like a pomegranate. He must find good points in himself and revive himself each time, as explained in the Torah "Azamra" (LM I:282). He must strengthen himself to begin anew each time and not destroy himself entirely. "V'chol asher timtza yadcha la'asos b'chocha'cha aseih" — "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." The essential thing is Arichas Apayim — having immeasurable patience, lengthening his spirit, waiting and hoping for Hashem's salvation, not looking at any disturbance or obstacle. This is the aspect of "Erech Apayim laTzaddikim v'laReshaim" — "Erech Apayim for the righteous and for the wicked" (Bava Kamma 50b). The Tzaddikim need this attribute of Erech Apayim — the aspect of holy ziknah, long days and years, long life — not to fall into ziknah of the Sitra Achara, where their avodah becomes old and weak in their eyes. Rather, to renew like the eagle their youth each time, beginning each day anew with increased holiness and avodah — never growing weary or tired, never being confused by anything. This is Arichas Apayim. For sometimes the servant of Hashem grows weary from having endured so much suffering, and through this he can fall into ziknah of the Sitra Achara and exhaustion. Therefore he must greatly strengthen himself in Erech Apayim all the days of his life. And likewise there is Erech Apayim for the wicked. Hashem extends His patience to the wicked all the days of their lives so that they should repent: "Ad yom moso techakeh lo, im yashuv" — "Until the day of his death, You wait for him — should he return." Therefore the wicked themselves must also strengthen themselves in this attribute of Erech Apayim — their wickedness should not confuse them from returning to Hashem. Their hearts should not melt and their minds should not weaken from the abundance of their sins — especially if they have already begun several times and fallen. Nevertheless, they should trust in His great Chesed, extend their patience and spirit over everything they endure, and strengthen themselves each time to begin anew from now. Perhaps from now on he will merit to have compassion on himself, to abandon his former ways and thoughts. He should never see himself as old and weak, for the essential teshuvah is the renewal of chiyus at every moment — renewing the days that passed in darkness: "Hashiveinu Hashem eilecha v'nashuvah, chadeish yameinu k'kedem" — "Return us, Hashem, to You and we will return; renew our days as of old" (Eichah 5:21). Thus everyone needs this attribute of Erech Apayim. This is "Erech Apayim for the righteous and Erech Apayim for the wicked." All other levels of all people in the world are included in these, for the sustaining of their avodah and chiyus is through this attribute of Arichas Apayim.